The Element Of You
by Satoria
Summary: Have you ever wondered, what would it be like if our world wouldn't contain just ordinary humans and mortals? If we could be something else, with our own will... Rated for M because of the language.
1. The Element Of You: Prologue

The Element Of You: Prologue

_*Click*_

Key turned and opened a door to a little apartment where a 17-years-old university student lives. "Shit! How many times do I have to tell them, not to send me this junk mail?" she cursed and threw a huge amount of her mail in the trash can. She put her coat in the closet, same time her cell rang.

"Hello?" She said.

_Talking…_

"Well, um... I dunno 'cos it'll always end up the same way…" She answered.

_More talking…_

She sighed and said in frustration "Fine… I'll come. But tell Ichi-nii that he will not start talking again about my way of living a life, okay?"

_Still more talking, also some happy screaming._

The conversation ended, she grabbed her coat from the closet and walked out from her apartment.


	2. Chapter 1

The Element Of You: Chapter One

A girl, no a young woman with a semi long, wavy brown hair danced happily around her house. "From the look of your face I can tell she's coming?" a young man around his twenties was sitting on a couch with a petite black haired woman.

"Yup! She is coming. Bay the way, she told me that you'll need to shut up and don't start arguing about her life." she said smiling innocently and curled a lock of her hair around her finger.

"Whatever…" he said and looked out of the window into the dark night. The brown haired woman, named Yuzu looked at the other woman and asked "Rukia, do you want to help me with the cooking?" Black haired woman looked up and smiled "Sure, I don't have anything else to expect bore myself to death. What do you want me to do?" The two women started walking to the kitchen while the orange haired man stood up and walked to the door. He opened the door and leaves, slamming the door behind him.

Yuzu stared the slammed door. Rukia put her other hand on Yuzu's shoulder and says "Hey, don't worry. Ichigo just needs to cool down his nerves and ego." she smiled and continued "You know why he keeps interfering into your lives?"

"Probably 'cos he's one of those overprotective big brothers who doesn't know where the line is." Yuzu said in a very upset voice. Rukia laughed and starts pushing Yuzu into the kitchen. "C'mon we have some cooking to do!" she said. Yuzu smiled and started telling instructions to Rukia.

Ichigo was walking on the street. He stopped behind a corner and looked around for witnesses. _Good. No one's around_, he thought and jumped onto the building (it's a detached house, not a skyscraper). He started running and jumping off a roof to another. For ten to fifteen minutes he kept running until he stopped. Another person, a young woman with a long black hair dressed in a black coat and jeans walked calmly to him and said "Hi Ichi-nii. Didn't know you still liked running in nights."

"Shit Karin, why are you coming like this. Why didn't you take a bus or, or a train. What if someone saw you?!" He yelled. "Will you shut the hell up? I am tired of your overprotective behaving. I'm not a fucking kid anymore!" Karin yelled back to her brother. "Well, as long as you are under eighteen you will be a kid to me!" Ichigo defended himself.

Karin screamed in frustration and tramped her feet onto roof. Ichigo walked closer to his sister, who is a lot shorter than him, and ruffled her midnight black hair. "Come on. They are cooking a dinner for us. Let's go." he said and jumped off the roof. Karin watched for a while as her brother started walking away. She sighed and ran to catch him.

When they arrived to Yuzu's house Rukia slams the door open and said "Where the hell you two have been?"

"What'd you mean?" Ichigo asked his girlfriend. "Renji just called and he wants to meet us at his house." she said and grabbed her coat. Yuzu ran to the door. "Oh, Karin you are here!" She screamed happily and hugged her twin. Karin patted her sisters back and says a little _yep_, same time Ichigo entered into his car. "We are soo sorry, but we really have to go. Something urgent has shown up and well…" Rukia yammered while walking to the car. "Of course. I mean Renji wouldn't have called you if it wasn't something really important." Yuzu said while Karin continued "Some other time then?" Rukia opened the car's door, looked up and smiled "Of course! We have so much to catch up!" she said and entered the car.

Karin closed the door, turned to Yuzu and said "Hey, can I stay here tonight? I really don't feel like running back to my place. It's really cold out there." Yuzu smiled and sighed happily "Sure! I don't mind. Tomorrow is Saturday so… You wanna come with me to the mall? I saw this cool shirt in a magazine, and I really wanna buy it." she asked and clapped her small hands together. Karin hates shopping even more than Yuzu violence and she really wanted to sleep late tomorrow. But seeing Yuzu's happy face she just smiled at her and said "Yea, that would be great!"

In the car Ichigo asked angrily "What is so fucking important that Renji wants to show us?" Rukia combs nervously her hair with her fingers and said, "He saw _them_."

Ichigo turns to look to his girlfriend. He held a shocked look on his face but manages to say "What were _they _doing?" Rukia only shook her head in negative and turned her eyes from his boyfriend to look at the road. "Watch the road." she said. Ichigo mumbled something about women and asked again, "Where do we meet him?"

"As I already told you, his and Tatsuki's house." she said annoyed. "Gee, aren't you on a happy mood this evening… We gonna go there now. I mean it's almost 11 in the evening." Ichigo asked. "So?" Rukia asked turning to look at him again. _Ouch, she sure is angry_, Ichigo thought.

"Let's go there tomorrow morning. You need some sleep, okay?" he suggested. Rukia sighed and looked out of the window. She nods and said "Okay. I'll call Renji. But we'll go there early in the morning." Ichigo nods and focused on his driving.


	3. Chapter 2

The Element of You: Chapter Two

On a Saturday morning, a man was walking with very fast and heavy footsteps along the corridors. It was clear as a crystal that he was angry, no furious. His skin was pale, almost like a snow. So was his hair and his eyes held the most beautiful color, teal. He ran across a young woman with black hair tied up in a bun. She was carrying a very heavy book.

"Oi, Momo! Have you seen Matsumoto?" he asked. The woman named Hinamori Momo looked at the man's face and answered "N-no I haven't. But could you give a hand with this book?"

He took the book out of Hinamori's hands and they started walking. "What happened Toushirou? I mean what have Matsumoto done now to make you so angry?" Hinamori asked innocently smiling.

Toushirou sighed and answered "I'll make it short to you. She, Ikkaku and Yumichika were spending their upcoming weekend as they usually do. And they were too near the border. Matsumoto as usual was acting too carefree and she "accidentally" crossed the border and was seen!" Hinamori looked at him shocked. "No. She did not get caught. Guys told me that after she was caught she ran away like a wind." Toushirou answered to her unspoken question. She automatically relaxed but asked "So what now?"

Toushirou only sighed and continued his walking. "We only have to hope that they don't start fighting against us." was his last statement as he passed the book back to Hinamori and entered in his room closing the door behind him.

Toushirou moved his fingers through his snowy white hair and yawned. He walked to a very old painting. It was a picture of five people. They were all smiling and holding their hands. Under the painting was a small sign that said "_And they all were the same people with a common future. Their politic and laws as strong as the earth. Their will of life as free as the air. Their common knowledge as well known as all the seas and waters. And their common tactics and fighting will was controlled as well as the burning flame."_ Those words were always messing his mind. _I mean how old is this painting? The nations of four different elements haven't been together as long as the history books have been telling_, he thought to himself.

*_Knock knock_*

Someone was knocking the door. _I need to get out of here_, he thought and rushed to the window. He opened it, grabs his white coat and jumps out of the window. The landing was two stories high but he managed to do it perfectly. He landed on the soft grass and started running at inhuman speed away his so called home. _Finally freedom! _he thought happily.

The person behind the door grew tired of waiting and walked in. It was a woman with a strawberry colored hair. "Nah, why do I even bother to come here and explain myself when he's not even around?" Matsumoto asked lazily aloud. "Ou well!" she said happily and opened a cabin. It was filled with books. She took the books out of the cabin and revealed a bottle of sake behind them. She hummed happily and sat on the sofa. "All I have to do is to wait that he'll show up!" she said joyfully and pouring sake.

Toushirou was crossing now a meadow. Suddenly he stopped and looked at the sky. _So peaceful_, he thought and started walking slowly. He stopped at to a road and looked around. The peaceful moment was suddenly interrupted by a truck. The driver stopped next to Toushirou and opened the door "Hey, you need a lift?" the driver asked. It was a man, nearly his forties. He had an eye-patch on his left eye and was smoking a pipe. He was lazy looking and fat. Toushirou looked at the man with a face that didn't hold any expression.

"Oi, I asked you a question? Do You Need A Lift? I'm going to the city." The driver asked again. _He's asking me a question? Doesn't he know who he is talking to?_, Toushirou thought, but answered "You are going to the city? Y-yea, I do need a lift there." The driver grew irritated of Toushirou's dumb answers but said "So? Hop in then? I hope you know how to come back, 'cos I ain't gonna drive you back here." . Toushirou entered the truck. The driver started his truck again and with that they drove off. _City… It's on the other side of the border. I wonder_, Toushirou thought while looking out of the window.

"Karin look! This shirt is so odd!" Yuzu squealed and showed her sister a black hoodie. It had little flames around it which were circling it from back to front. "I think it's cool. And you know what?" Karin said. Yuzu turned to look at her twin. She moved closer to Yuzu and whispered into her ear "_It also shows to the others our element and the power which we hold._" Yuzu backed away a bit and sighed "You mean _your_ element?" Karin looked at her sister sadly.

Her twin sister IS a fire bender, but her powers are limited. She can control fire's moves and heat stuff, but that's it. Unlike Yuzu, Karin can also fire some fireballs and create fire waves that will burn everything and everyone who stands on its way. Their older brother, Ichigo has the largest amount of power. He has the same abilities like his sister but he can also borrow some energy from the sun only when it is showing.

In their world and universe there were some _unique_ persons that are able to control some element. People like them are hiding their powers and tries to live their life without them.

Many, many centuries ago all element benders were a one hell of a strong people. They all lived in peace and harmony. But every good must always come to its end, right?. All four nation had their own leaders whom didn't always agree with each others. The leaders started to have arguments more often and soon they couldn't stand each other's presence anymore.

First one to leave was the leader of the earth benders taking an area with him where the rest of the earth benders could live as a one strong nation. Then left the leader of the air taking also some land with him for his nation. The last two leaders whom kept arguing were the leader of the water and the leader of the fire nation. They both wanted much bigger area than their colleges but neither one of them allowed the other one to have it. In the end the leader of the water tribe was poisoned leaving the fire nation in victory.

The fire leader took the bigger land area under his command and banished the rest water benders to live their life in an area that was miles away from the sea. Two years after the poisonous dead of the water leader and the victory of the fire. The leader of the fire nation was murdered in the most inhuman way. The murderer used the fire lord's own sword as his torturing tool, slicing his skin over and over again driving him to his near blood loss. After that the murderer hanged the fire leader using the fire lord's own clothes as a hanging rope. That kind of an action started a war between those two nations. The bloody war lasted nearly two hundred years. During the war they created the border between them.

Among the years people became less and less violent and soon they stopped fighting against each other's. Neither nation won. Only the enormous feeling of hate to each others remained. After war people started developing new abilities where they didn't need any element bending at all. And after couple of centuries there weren't no longer four nations, only two. The earth nation merged with the water tribe and the air merged with fire. Almost everything has settled down among the years to these days except the border, which remains and it is forbidden to cross it.


	4. Chapter 3

The Element Of You: Chapter Three

Ichigo, Rukia and Renji, their red long haired friend with tattoos, were having a serious conversation. "So, you saw one earth bender crossing the border?" Ichigo asked. "For the last time YES!" Renji yelled. His orange haired friend could sometimes be very slow. "She obviously was drunk. There were also two more but they didn't do anything so I couldn't tell where they humans or not. The woman who crossed the border had almost the same colored hair as you Ichigo and had very large breasts." Rukia and Ichigo looked at his friend in confusion, Rukia continued "What about her friends?" Renji put his face in his hands and sighed "Sorry, I don't remember clearly…"

"Because you were also drunk, right?" Ichigo interrupted smirking. Renji's face went red in anger "What the fuck? No! It was just so dark and…um…" he said looking at the ground.

Ichigo started laughing and Rukia elbowed him in his stomach, which cause him to fall. "Is there anything else we need to know?" she asked.

Renji looked at Rukia and said "That's pretty much everything. Those two friends of that woman's saw her crossing the border and pulled her quickly back to their side. After that they just left."

Ichigo was now gasping some air to his lungs and managed to stand up again. He was going to say something but Rukia interrupted him "Okay, thanks Renji!" she said and started dragging Ichigo to their car. "Um, no problem." Renji said and watched those two leaving.

When they reached Ichigo's car Rukia loosed her grip allowing Ichigo free. "What is your problem?" he asked annoyed. Rukia said nothing and took a hold of door handle. Ichigo smacked her hand away and turned her face at him.

"What?" she asked eyeing him angrily. "Didn't you hear my question?" Ichigo said. "_You_ are asking _me_ what is _my_ problem when _you_ start laughing at our friend without a reason!" she yelled at him. Ichigo released his hold of her chin and started laughing at her. He then put his hands gently on her small waist and pulled her closer.

"It was just a joke Ru-ki-a." he whispered seductively into her ear. He brought her face closer and kissed her lightly. He held there for a while. When he started pulling away Rukia quickly placed her small hands on his face and cupped his cheeks to deepen the kiss. Ichigo backed her against the car. Rukia opened her mouth and let his tongue enter into her mouth. She moaned which made Ichigo smile against her lips and he started kissing down her neck. He placed butterfly kisses along her neck and stopped at her pulse. She moaned once more when Ichigo started sucking on her pulse.

"We s-should really leave…" Rukia managed to say. Ichigo kissed his way up and placed a light kiss on her lips. "We should." was his only reply and he entered his car. Rukia closed her door and looked at his boyfriend "Where now?" she asked. Ichigo smiled seductively at her and suggested "If you ain't mad at me anymore we could go to our place and continue this there?" Rukia kissed his cheek and nodded. Ichigo's smile grew bigger and he started the car.

Karin and Yuzu were eating ice cream on a bench. They haven't spoken much after Yuzu's retort. "Look, I know you're angry 'cos we have more power than you" Karin said which only made Yuzu angrier. Karin continued "But that doesn't mean that your abilities suck. I mean thousands of humans would kill juts to have your ability."

Yuzu stood up and threw her ice cream in a trash can. She turned to look at her sister and said "Doesn't that mean the same to you and Nii-san." Karin stood also up, threw her ice cream away and sighed "Yuzu… Me and Ichi-nii may be stronger than you in fire bending but in anything else you are always stronger than us. Just think about it! Have you ever seen Ichi-nii being as patient as you? Or, or have you ever seen me cooking a meal that didn't cause food poisoning? You are better than me in everything except element bending."

Yuzu looked at Karin and said "And martial arts. You are also better than me in that too." Karin looked at her sister and laughed. She came closer to Yuzu and placed her hands on her sister's shoulders "I may be better than you in fighting but aren't I always been more violence than you. It just doesn't suit you Yuzu. You are too cute to fight, also too girly" Karin's little speech made Yuzu pout.

"That may be true. I am a GIRL." Yuzu said. Karin smiled wider than ever "That's the spirit! Remember when we were at fifth grade. And our class's teacher thought I was a boy." They both started laughing. Yuzu turned to her twin and hugged her.

"Thanks sis." Karin returned the hug "No problem. Just don't always compare your abilities to ours." she said and they started walking along the street.

"Thank's for the ride!" Toushirou said and hopped off the truck. "No problem. See ya!" The driver said and drove off. Toushirou started walking along the street. His snow white hair and teal eyes made him the center of attention, especially for young women. _I hate this!_ He thought and looked at the ground.

While looking the ground he dumped at someone. "Hey! Watch were you're going idiot!" Toushirou looked at the person he had dumped at. There were two young women. One was like the light while the other one was pure darkness. _I think they are sisters_, he thought. The dark one took a tight hold of his shirt. She pulled his face closer and tried to look tougher. She stared at his teal eyes with her own onyx ones.

"Well?" she said. Toushirou just kept staring at her eyes. "Karin just let him go." Yuzu said worried. Karin looked at her sister and then back at Toushirou. She sighed and let him go. Yuzu started dragging her twin sister away from Toushirou. "Do you always have to be so violent?" Yuzu whined in a soft voice. "Whatever" Karin just said and kept walking.

Toushirou looked those two walking away. _They weren't humans! Their whole beings held the aura of a fire bender. That was too close_, he thought. Karin and Yuzu arrived at Yuzu's house. Yuzu kept humming some silly song happily and Karin was thinking. _Why can't I stop thinking about him? Sure, I noticed that he wasn't human. Neither was he a fire or an air bender_, Karin looked at Yuzu who was in the kitchen starting out this evening's meal. "I'm gonna take a shower, okay?" Karin said and started climbing the stairs. She heard Yuzu saying "_okay"_ and opened the bathroom's door.

The house were Yuzu is living is their childhood home. When Ichigo turned eighteen he moved away to live together with Rukia. Two years after that their father moved away because of his businesses leaving Karin and Yuzu alone at the age of sixteen. Of course their father paid and pays still all the bills that are about food, electricity etc. When they both turned seventeen Karin left her home to study, leaving Yuzu alone. She tries to visit as often she can but it's so hard with all her studying and stuff.

Karin dropped all her clothes on the floor and let the water pour freely. She entered the cold shower and let her nerves relax. She doesn't mind the cold actually she prefers it more than warm and heat. Sometimes she wishes that she would have been born to be water bender, because of her violent nature. She had always believed that water cools everything and fire makes the opposite.

Suddenly her eyes opened _He was a water bender!!!_ She thought shocked. _But what the fuck was he doing here, in our territory, wow that didn't sound selfish at all. _She turned off the shower and rolled her old black towel around herself. She walked into her room and took a black top and dark blue shorts out of her closet and put them on. She used her fire element to dry up. _Well that was convenient_, she thought satisfied and walked out of her room.

Heading down to the kitchen she remembered something _Fuck, fuck, fuck! Tomorrow is the last day to return my history essay! Shit! _she thought and ran back to her room. She changed her clothes and wore now a pair of black sweatpants and that black hoodie with flames. Karin ran downstairs and yelled at Yuzu "Yuzu I'm sorry but I have to leave. Tomorrow is the last day to return my essay and I haven't finished it!"

Yuzu ran to the door and found Karin putting her shoes on. "But tomorrow is Sunday." she whined. Karin stood up and turned to look at her twin "I know but the original day of returning was Friday and I totally missed it. So I begged the teacher to give me more time and here I am." she said creating a fake smile.

Yuzu backed away and said "You really should return them on time. Next time do so, okay?" Karin smiled and hugged her sister quickly. She opened the door and put her hood on so that her face wouldn't be recognized. "For this day onwards I'll do so." she said and left.

Toushirou was sitting on a roof of a house. He was listening his iPod when suddenly a breeze went quickly past him. _What was that!?_ he thought and went after it. Karin noticed that someone was following her and stopped. She turned to look and recognized the person. _It's that man from earlier,_ she thought. "Oi, who are you?" Toushirou said and came closer. Karin backed away and would have fallen of the roof if Toushirou wouldn't have been there to catch her. He pulled her away from the edge and was about to take her hood off when suddenly Karin smacked him across his cheek making him stumble back. "What the hell was that for?" he yelled covering his now red cheek. "I didn't need your fucking help!" she yelled back. Toushirou stood up and rubbed his cheek. _This is going to leave a mark_, he thought and looked at her angrily.

"What? Are you going to cry now?" Karin mocked placing her hands on her hips. "You're a fire bender aren't you?" he asked. Karin backed away and said "And you're a water bender, aren't you?". Toushirou shrugged and turned to look away.

Karin grew irritated and turned her back at him, Toushirou saw that and flash stepped in front of her. _H-he is fast_, Karin thought and jumped back revealing her face. She quickly formed a fire ball into her hand and fired it on the roof in front of him creating smoke. She quickly escaped and started flash stepping to her apartment. She turned to look back and saw him running right behind her, she thought in irritation, _I really don't have time for this_, and started running faster.

Toushirou was easily catching up with her speed. He wasn't even trying to catch her he just wanted to know where was she heading. Suddenly an enormous fire wall was created between them leaving Toushirou behind. Karin stopped and searched around her helper. "Ichi-nii!" she yelled happily. Ichigo was standing on a roof, few houses away from them looking angry. _Why didn't I sense him?! _Toushirou thought. He backed away a bit and saw Ichigo flash stepped on the same roof where he was. When the fire wall faded away Karin came closer and said to her brother "How did you know I was here?" Ichigo walked to Karin but looked still at Toushirou. "Rukia sensed him." he said.

*_flashback_*

Ichigo laid Rukia on their bed and kissed her roughly. Rukia's other hand was tugging his hair while the other one was stripping him off his shirt. Ichigo started kissing and sucking her jaw line and neck. He stopped at her pulse and stayed there. Rukia moaned and dropped his shirt on the floor. Ichigo smirked and said "What's wrong? A cat took your tongue?" Rukia cupped his cheeks and pulled his face in front of hers. She licked his lips and kissed him demandingly. Ichigo's one hand was under Rukia's ocean dark dress while the other one took a hold of her one hand.

Suddenly Rukia stopped and her eyes popped opened. Ichigo looked at her worried and asked "Baby what's wrong? Are you hurting? Or…" Rukia interrupted him and said "No, it's just…" she closed her eyes and put her pointer fingers on her temples. "Someone is here. Someone strong, he's not from here." she said. Ichigo put his hand on her waist and pulled her closer "You mean he crossed the border?" he asked trying to make some sense of her incorrect mumbling. "Y-yes and he's chasing after something or someone." she continued nervously. "If I can't sense him I believe he's water or an air bender, right?" Ichigo corrected. Rukia nodded.

Only those who had the same ability could sense could sense each other's presence from far distance. "Where is he? I only sense Karin running, very fast. I think she has forgotten something, again." Ichigo whined lazily and rolled onto his back. Rukia's eyes opened even bigger and she yelled "Karin! He's after her." Ichigo sat quickly up. "How do you know?" Rukia looked at him "He's near at her apartment chasing something and as you said Karin is running very fast, like she's running away from someone." she said.

Ichigo grabber his shirt on the floor and took his black jacket out of his closet. While putting his shoes on he muttered at his girlfriend annoyed "I'll go check on her. But if there's nothing wrong," Rukia laughed and interrupted him "I know I owe you one. I'll do _anything_ you ask." Ichigo flash stepped in front of her and whispered into her ear "Anything?" Rukia kissed him deeply. "Yup! Only if it isn't something horrible." she said while pushing him towards the window. Ichigo opened it and whispered into her ear huskily "You don't have any idea what kind of a deal you just made" and with that he flash stepped into the dark night.

*_end of flashback_*

"You can go now Karin. But before you leave tell me something. Why were you running away from him? I mean look at him he isn't much bigger than a shrimp." Ichigo said to his sister. Toushirou looked at him with a look that could kill but said nothing.

"Tomorrow is the last day to return my essay, I'm tired, hungry and fucking pissed off!" she yelled and formed a fire ring around herself. "What have I told you? You need to return them on time. Don't you _ever _think?" Ichigo yelled at her. While those two were arguing Toushirou grew bored. He stepped closer which put those two in alert. Ichigo pushed his sister away and said "Go now Karin. And finish your essay. I'll take it from here.". Karin turned away and left.

Toushirou and Ichigo looked at each other. For a while they just stood there, doing nothing, until Toushirou smirked at Ichigo and said "So what now?" Ichigo looked at him and noticed that his aura was clearly visible now. It was the same colored as ice and also very strong.

"I'll give you two options. One, you'll leave now and no one will ever know that you visited here, _Toushirou Hitsugaya_." Ichigo said pointing out his name. "How did you know my name _Kurosaki Ichigo_?" Toushirou asked doing the same as Ichigo did. Ichigo laughed a little and said "A very close friend of mine have told me something about you and your friends." Toushirou thought a little bit. Then he looked back at Ichigo, "Ru-rukia Kuchiki?" he asked. Ichigo smirked wickedly and nodded.

"What's the second option?" Toushirou asked dumbly, like he didn't know the answer. Ichigo flash stepped behind him and took a tight hold of his snowy white hair "You'll be dead and no one will ever know." he said. Toushirou reached his one hand to take a hold of Ichigo's hand. He touched Ichigo's wrist and froze it. Ichigo yelled and released Toushirou. Toushirou used this as an opening and tried to kick Ichigo in his stomac. Ichigo used his not frozen hand and threw Toushirou's leg away causing him to stumble back a bit. Ichigo used his fire element to melt the ice away from his wrist.

"So, you're an ice bender. I've never fought one before." Ichigo said. Toushirou said nothing and charged at Ichigo. Right in front of him Toushirou flash stepped behind him and fired ice pikes at him. With more experience of fighting Ichigo created another fire wall to defend himself. Ice and fire collapsing created a steam which made it hard to see the opponent. Ichigo jumped back, so did Toushirou. "You're as good as Rukia described." Ichigo said. Toushirou said nothing and charged again at Ichigo.

Karin arrived to her apartment's door and searched her hoodie's pockets for the key. _You have got to be joking!_ she thought and searched her pants' pockets. Then she remembered _Shit, shit, shit! The key is in my jacket's pocket and my jacket's at Yuzu's. Fuck!_ she thought and slammed her head against her door. She screamed in frustration, turned and flash stepped away from her apartment.

Ichigo and Toushirou were still fighting on the roof while Ichigo sensed Karin coming closer. _What the fuck is she doing?_ he thought. Toushirou smirked and without Ichigo to notice kicked him into his stomach making him fall back. He used his ice element to freeze Ichigo's both feet and hands on the roof. Ichigo coughed and breathed for air. He looked up to see Toushirou smirking at him. "You do realize this doesn't hold me for long." Ichigo said. "Ou don't worry. I'll make sure I'll use all the time I have before you get free of _THIS_!" he yelled and hit one of hands on the roof creating ice box around Ichigo. _This is going to take a while_, Ichigo thought in boredom.

Toushirou smirked for his little victory but suddenly he sensed someone else behind him. He looked behind him to see that girl named Karin looking at him angrily. "Oi, what are you doing here?" he asked. Karin flash stepped in front of him which made Toushirou back away a bit.

Karin smiled innocently and said "You did this?" she asked and pointed the ice box where her brother was captured. "And what if I did?" Toushirou said and started creating icy air around himself.

"Stop that. It isn't necessary." she said and looked him right in the eyes. Toushirou stopped and looked at her form. She had midnight black hair that reached her mid back. Her body was slim and her face held no expression now. She was little bit shorter than him. Karin walked past him and placed both her hands on the ice box's walls. Karin looked at her brother while Ichigo looked back at her. Ichigo smiled and mouthed "_Go on_". Karin nodded and walked to the edge of the roof.

Toushirou looked at her then to her brother. He saw Ichigo blowing fire out of his mouth. _That is going to take some time_, he thought. He looked back at the place where Karin stood but she had already left. _Shame, she really was cute_, he thought. Suddenly the ice box that Toushirou had created around Ichigo collapsed. Ichigo quickly charged at Toushirou, hit him in his stomach and kicked him away with one leg. Toushirou landed on his side on the roof because of Ichigo's kick and gasped for air. He looked in horror at Ichigo and saw him creating huge fire balls in his both hands.

_I-I don't have enough of time to create that much energy to defend myself! Fuck!_, he thought. Ichigo smirked and said "Didn't I told you to leave or die? I hope you do remember that in your second life!" Toushirou didn't move, he just didn't have that much energy anymore. _Shit! _he thought in frustration.

Before Ichigo had the time to fire he was stopped. A little petite woman with black hair appeared before him. "Ru-rukia? What the hell?" Ichigo asked and let his energy cool down leaving Toushirou unharmed.

"You were taking too long so I came to check on you. What's up and why are you so bloody?" she asked. Ichigo pointed at Toushirou who tried to sit up but failed miserably and collapsed on the roof. "Hitsugaya? Hitsugaya Toushirou? What are you doing here?" Rukia asked in confusion.

"I believe he's already unconscious." Ichigo said and collapsed also on the roof. Rukia caught him and saw that he was unconscious. She smiled warmly and laid him on his back. She walked up to Toushirou and noticed that he was also unconscious. He was bleeding from his mouth because of Ichigo's kicks and punches. Ichigo didn't have any wounds only small frostbites. _I'm so not able to carry them to our place_, she thought.

"Hey Rukia!" someone yelled at her. Rukia noticed Renji flash stepping to her. "Renji, I am so glad to see you. Will you help me with them?" she said. Renji looked around and saw Ichigo and Toushirou lying on the frozen roof "What the hell happened here? I was with Tatsuki and suddenly we both felt Ichigo calling up his energy. I left as soon as I could." he said and lifted Ichigo onto his shoulder.

"Well… I wasn't witnessing their battle so I don't know really what happened. All I know is that Hitsugaya was after Karin for some reason." Rukia said and tried to lift Toushirou up but she was too small for that. Renji laughed at Rukia and felt someone approaching them. He and Rukia looked to the approaching person and recognized it as Karin. Karin landed easily on the roof and looked around. "Wow, it wasn't this bad when I left. Which one won?" she asked. Rukia and Renji looked at each other confused and then back at Karin.

"Neither, because of me." Rukia said and smiled at Karin. "Ichigo's going to be mad at you when he wakes up, doesn't he?" Renji said to Rukia. "No, I don't think he will…" Rukia said and smiled mysteriously. "What are you going with Mister Ice Box?" Karin asked.

Renji said and lifted slipping Ichigo higher onto his shoulders "You better decide it fast 'cos Strawberry here isn't very light you know?" Rukia thought it for a moment and then looked at Karin. Karin saw her look and protested "No, no and no! I have a test to return tomorrow and I don't have time to take care of some weirdo who can froze my house back to the ice age."

Rukia walked to Karin "Ou, I believe you will. It will only take couple of days for him to recover and then you can throw him out of your apartment. So?" Karin looked at Rukia angrily "I hate you so much because of this." she muttered sounding like a three-year-old and picked Toushirou up on her back.

"Can we go now or I'll drop Ichigo here." Renji said in boredom. "Good luck Karin and see ya!" Rukia said and with that she and Renji left. Karin sighed and looked at Toushirou _I hope he isn't awful_, she thought and started flash stepping to her apartment.


	5. Chapter 4

The Element Of You: Chapter Four

Karin laid unconscious Toushirou on her bed. She removed his shirt revealing his well build body. She blushed a bit and combed his snowy white hair with her hand. That made Toushirou stir a bit. Karin quickly pulled her hand away afraid that she had woken him. He just continued sleeping. Karin sighed in relief and grabbed his shirt which she had removed. She threw it in laundry basket. She opened her bathroom's closet and took her first-aid kit. Karin quietly walked back to Toushirou finding him still on her bed sleeping. Karin placed the first-aid kit on her night table and using only her bedside lamp she started binding his wounds.

After finishing with his wounds Karin yawned. She looked at her digital alarm which was on her bedside table. Her eyes popped open in alert, _Fuck it's already four in the morning! _she thought. She looked at sleeping Toushirou and blushed. _Argh! I'm gonna have to sleep on the fucking couch_, she thought angrily. She walked to her tiny living room and collapsed on her couch without changing her clothes. Sleep took over her and soon she was fast asleep.

Next morning Toushirou woke up and looked around the room. _Whe-where the hell am I?!_ he thought. He tried to sit up but soon his head started hurting like hell and he collapsed on the bed. _Shit!_ he thought. He noticed that he didn't have his shirt on and his wounds were bound. He breathed calmly in and out.

The room smelled like some perfume which he couldn't describe. He looked at the bedside table's alarm. It was eight o'clock. _This is fucking frustrating! I can't move. What did that fucking Ichigo do to me? _Toushirou thought angrily. He tried to sit up again. The pain caused him to wince a bit. He managed to sit up against the wall. Toushirou listened a bit and heard soft footsteps nearing him. The room's door opened revealing sleepy Karin.

"Ou, you are awake. How are you feeling?" she asked. Toushirou just stared at her like an idiot which made Karin worried "Is there something on my face?" she asked and looked in the mirror which was hanging on her dark purple wall. "N-no. There's nothing on your face it's just that. Why am I here?" Toushirou asked. Karin looked back at him with a face that didn't hold any expression "We just couldn't leave you there bleeding to your death." was her only reply. "Who is _we_?" he asked. Karin was getting irritated because of his behavior. "Me, Rukia-nee and Renji." she said simply. Toushirou nodded. He looked at her and smiled "Thank you for your help and letting me sleep here." Karin blushed "N-no problem." she said quickly.

"I am making breakfast. Do you want any?" Karin asked. "Sure. I am hungry." Toushirou said. Karin nodded and left leaving the door open. _Why in the hell am I so kind to him? I mean he's a fucking ice bender and he fought against Ichi-nii. _

Karin took cereals, juice and a toast with jam on it for Toushirou. "I hope you can eat that 'cos I am horrible at cooking." Karin smiled awkwardly at him tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. Toushirou looked at her and noticed that she didn't have anything to eat. "Aren't you gonna eat?" he asked. Karin looked at him and noticed that she forgot her food in the kitchen. "Yes I am but somehow I forgot my own food in the kitchen. I'll be right back." she said and exited her room leaving Toushirou alone. He took a bite of the toast. _This isn't bad. I mean she didn't made anything of this on her own. The only thing she did was to toast the bread and mix the cereals with milk_, he thought and continued eating.

Karin came back with an apple and a bowl of cereals. They ate in silence. _This isn't awkward at all_, Toushirou thought sarcastically and looked at Karin who was staring at her feet. _Why is she staring at her feet?_ he looked and at her face.

It was flawless and her cheeks had a little shade of pink on them. He blushed and looked away. Suddenly Karin stated "Bay the way, I don't know your name." Toushirou looked at her and blinked few times.

"Ou, my name is Hitsugaya Toushirou. And I already know yours it's Kurosaki Karin, right?" he said. Karin looked at him and nodded. "But how did you know my last name. I don't remember that I've told it to you." she said looking him straight in the eyes. "Your family's is well known among us. And after realizing Ichigo's your brother it doesn't take a genius to do the math about your last name." he said smirking.

Karin looked at him for a while and then looked out of the window. She sighed and started to gather the dishes. "I think you have already finished eating." she said and stood up with the dishes. Toushirou looked at her and nodded. She left again. Toushirou wondered why did she became so upset. _Did I say something wrong?_ he thought. Karin came back to the room and said "I have an essay which I have to return today so I am gonna go now. On my way there's a grocery store and I am going to buy something to eat. Do you want something?" Toushirou thought it for a moment but shook his head in negative. "Okay, bye!" Karin said and left. _Great, what the hell am I gonna do now or how in the fucking world am I gonna make the time go faster?_ he thought in boredom.

Karin had just returned her essay and stood now outside the university. Her cell beeped. She got a text from Rukia.

_Dear Karin, I'm so sorry 'cos of yesterday. If you want you can bring Hitsugaya to Urahara's. I've already talked to him about Hitsugaya and he said it was okay. He was kinda creepily cheerful and looking forward to it as usual. But it's up to you. What'd ya say? _

_-Rukia_

Karin looked the text over and over again. She sighed in frustration, _She can be very confusing sometimes_, Karin thought and texted back to Rukia.

_Rukia it's okay. I can keep him at my place for few days. He isn't that bad, just a little bit too quiet and he's fucking too polite. What am I a grandma who has to be treated like a fucking queen! :-D_

_-Karin_

She puts her cell back in her pocket and starts walking along the street. The weather was sunny and warm. No clouds and no cars driving breaking the peaceful moment. Her cell beeped again and Karin took her cell. She read the text she had just received from Rukia.

_He's polite to you? How's that possible there's only few persons he's polite with. And they are his very close friends or bosses. And I know that you are neither of those, so how is it possible that he's so kind to you?! Or maybe he's just afraid that you'll throw him out if he doesn't treat you well… But okay keep him there. I will tell Urahara your decision._

_-Rukia_

Karin smiled and texted "_thank you"_ to Rukia. She stopped in front a grocery store and went in. She only bought instant noodles, apples and some juice. _I really need to get something to make the time go faster with Toushirou, he's too quiet and nice_, Karin thought in boredom same time carrying grocery bags. Then she remembered, _I still have that alcohol bottle which I stole from Ichi-nii and Rukia's house_, she thought and started walking a little bit faster to her apartment.

Toushirou was so bored. In his current state he couldn't move yet. _I'm gonna bore myself to death! When will that Karin person come back?_ he thought yawning. As if someone had heard his prays the front door was opened. _Finally!_ he thought. The door of Karin's room was opened revealing someone Toushirou didn't want to see now.

Karin arrived to her apartment finding her front door opened. _That's odd, I remember I did close the door_, she thought. Masking her energy Karin quietly entered into her apartment. "What the hell are YOU doing here?" she heard Toushirou yelling someone. Karin raised an eyebrow and listened.

"What do you mean 'what the hell are you doing here?' you vanished, without saying anything, to anyone! Don't you even realize you made us all worried, especially me!" yelled the mystery person who obviously was a woman with a very soft voice which wasn't created yelling. Karin sneaked a little bit closer because they weren't yelling at each other's anymore. _Why the hell am I being quiet? This is my home! _ she thought in frustration. And with that she walked into her room making possibly the biggest mistake of her life.

Toushirou and the mystery woman looked at Karin, who just entered into _her_ room, looking pissed. "I don't mind having you Toushirou here 'cos you're wounded but I don't remember saying that you can invite visitors here, did I?" she said looking at him angrily.

Toushirou looked at her terrified. For a minute he didn't say anything, just stared at her which made Karin angrier "I asked you a fucking question didn't I?!" she yelled at him. Toushirou backed as much as he could on the bed and managed say "I didn't invite her. Momo came on her own." Karin looked at the woman who was sitting on her bed like it was her own. "Who the hell are you?" Karin asked. The woman sat on Karin's bed and had black hair tied up in a bun. She was wearing black top and light blue jeans. She had a white coat folded on her lap neatly. Momo stood up smiling and said "My name is Hinamori Momo and I am here to demand you to release Hitsugaya." Karin looked at Toushirou who shrugged and then back at Hinamori.

"Release him. From what? He isn't here as a prisoner." Karin laughed. Toushirou looked at laughing Karin. Hinamori continued "Then why is he here, in your apartment?" Karin stopped laughing and breathed deeply, "If you really wanna know, your friend here…" she pointed at Toushirou "…crossed the border, chased after me and fought against my brother. Which he lost _miserably._" That statement made Toushirou angry and he defended "I didn't lose! That's a fucking lie and you know it."

Karin looked at him smirking "Then why were you the first one that fell down?" she said. That shut him up. He poutedand turned his look away from Karin. _Finally, that shut him up!_ she thought and faced now angry Hinamori. As an impulse Hinamori raised her hand and slapped Karin across her face.

_Slap!_

Toushirou looked in shock at Hinamori and at Karin in horror. _This is going to cost you Momo_, he thought and watched as Karin touched her now red cheek. Karin looked at Hinamori who was smirking at her. _She doesn't even regret hitting me! _Karin thought furiously. Hinamori was just about to say something but Karin interrupted her by taking a tight hold of her shirt and lifted her up.

"You! I am going to make you pay!" she yelled and rose her fist up. She was just about to hit Hinamori right on her _perfect_ nose if Toushirou didn't took a hold of her fist.

"Let her go." he said. Karin looked at him angrily. "Now!" he yelled. Karin slowly released Hinamori who fell on the floor gasping for air. Toushirou helped Hinamori to stand up again. "You'll have to leave now." he said to her. Hinamori was going to protest but Toushirou interrupted her saying "Just leave Momo. And don't come back." he started dragging Hinamori to the front door. "And if it isn't too much to ask, don't tell anyone where I am. Not even Matsumoto. Just tell them I'm hiking or something." he said calmly to Hinamori and with that he closed the front door. Hinamori stood there for a while repeating those actions which had just happened in that room. After that she left.

Toushirou suddenly remembered his wounds and looked himself. His wounds had already healed. He took bandages off, rolled them and put them on a little table that was next to the front door. He heard moving in the kitchen and walked there. He saw Karin putting the groceries away. "Hey, are you okay?" he asked moving behind her.

Hearing him talk stopped her. She opened her trash can and threw the plastic bag in it "Yes. I mean it was just a slap nothing more." she said. Toushirou looked at her worried. Even if Hinamori was a girl, she was also a fire bender just like Karin and could hit pretty hard.

Her family had crossed the border many years ago. No one knows the reason, not even him, her closest friend. "Will you just turn and look at me?" he asked.

"Why should I? I have already checked it and it wasn't even bad." she said sounding irritated. "So? If it wasn't bad why can't you show it to me?" Toushirou asked again. He was doing this on purpose.

For five long minutes they just stand there. Slowly Karin turned and looked at Toushirou. Her cheek had a red bruise. Hinamori's nails had also been able to do some damage too because Karin's cheek was bleeding a bit. _She didn't have to hit that hard_, he thought. He put his finger under her chin and turned her face a bit. "See? It isn't that bad." Karin said. Toushirou didn't answer, just kept staring at her bruised cheek. He moved his hand and carefully placed it on her cheek. He used his ice element on it. Karin gasped because of the cold feeling and looked him in confusion. "Ice will prevent it from swelling." he said and smiled at her gently. Karin just stared at him and didn't say anything.

"Back in the morning in your room why did you get upset?" he suddenly asked. She raised an eye brow "I did? When?" Karin said confused.

"When we were talking you became upset after I mentioned your brother." She sighed and looked at the floor. "Something wrong?" he asked again.

"N-no, it's just. I'm just fucking tired hearing how amazing and famous my brother is. For me he's just an idiot who treats me like a kid." she said and looked back at him. Toushirou removed his hand and laughed at her "Are you envious?" he asked smirking.

Karin blushed "N-no! I'm not!" Toushirou just kept smiling at her behavior. Suddenly he hugged her which. Karin's face flushed completely red. "Don't be stupid. The only reason why people remembers him is 'cos his strange hair color and tough-guy attitude." he said. Karin was so embarrassed and same time extremely happy. _He smells good_, she thought and laid her head against his bare chest. He let her go and with an impulse he kissed her forehead. Realizing what he had just done he blushed so did Karin.

"So? What now?" she asked already forgot the kiss. "What you mean 'what now?' " he said mimicking her.

"I mean what are you going to do now? Your wounds have already healed." she said. Toushirou looked at himself and then back at her.

"Would it be horrible if I stayed here?" he asked. Karin raised an eyebrow "Why? You obviously do have a home back there."

Toushirou crossed his arms and looked directly her in the eyes. "Yes I do. But I don't want to go back there." he said sounding like a three-year-old. Karin smirked at him and said "I'll tell you something. You can stay here if you tell me something about yourself and you don't bring that hideous girl back. Do we have a deal?"

Toushirou thought about it for a while but then reached his hand saying "Yes, yes we do." Karin shook his hand with her own and then opened her fridge. She turned to look at him "You wanna eat now or later?" she said smiling mysteriously. "Later." he said and looked as Karin took something out of her fridge. She placed a bottle on a table and took then two glasses out of a cabin. "You drink?" he said mockingly also surprised. "So?" she asked.

Toushirou stated "But aren't you underage?". Karin looked at him angrily and sighed "I'll be eighteen next Wednesday. What about you, aren't you underage?"

Toushirou looked hurt "I'm eighteen." he corrected. Karin laughed "Oh, sorry. It just doesn't look like it." He was becoming angry and Karin saw it "Okay, I'm sorry. So will you join me?" she asked innocently.

"Don't _you_ have school tomorrow?" he mocked. Karin smiled still as innocently and said "I thought about skipping it tomorrow." Toushirou looked at her for a while and sighed "Whatever." he said and took one of the glasses. "That's the spirit!" she said and started pushing him to her living room.

Hinamori ran along the corridors. She arrived to very large wooden doors. Hinamori reached to knock the door but drew her hand back nervously and looked at the floor. _He said I shouldn't do this, but… I just can't leave it be_, she thought and knocked on the door.

"Come in." she heard someone say. Hinamori entered a large room. The room was filled with bookcases and scrolls. On a wall was a picture of an old man standing proudly with a cane. Hinamori quickly walked through the long room and stopped to a table where was that old man from the painting writing something on a paper. The man had grey hair because his ageing.

Hinamori bowed and said "I am sorry to disturb you Master Yamamoto but I have some horrible news about Hitsugaya Toushirou." Yamamoto raised an eyebrow and asked calmly "What is it?" Hinamori started telling Toushirou's whereabouts, his wounds and Karin. After finishing her reporting she backed away and waited for his reaction. Yamamoto sighed and then looked at Hinamori.

"You can go now." he says and watches Hinamori leaving. _Why couldn't he stay out of trouble_, Yamamoto thought and picks up his phone to make a call.

_Spin! spin! spin!_

On a living room table _now_ an empty bottle was spinning. It stopped and pointed at Karin. "Shit! Why is it always me who has to tell something?" she says.

"Maybe you just have a fucking bad luck today." Toushirou smirks at Karin."Tell me about it." she sighs and touches her cheek. "Still hurts?" he asks. "A little. Ask a question now or give me your turn?"

Toushirou shakes his head and asks "At this side of the border, how many element bender is here?" Karin looks at him for while "Why do you wanna know that?".

"Just curious. I've only met you, your sister, brother, and Rukia. So is there more?" he asks again looking directly at Karin's face.

"I'll pass this question." Karin says looking away. _How is it possible that she isn't drunk enough to spill something? I mean she drank the whole bottle on her own_, he thoughts amazed.

Suddenly he feels someone leaning against his shoulder. He turns his head and sees Karin sleeping peacefully against him. He tries to stand up and get free without waking Karin. Once he got free he picked Karin into his arms and walked into her room. He placed her on her bed and turns to leave.

After one step he felt someone was tugging the hem of his shirt. He looked back and saw Karin looking at him. "Where are you going." she asks looking him straight in the eyes.

"You're drunk and you need some sleep." he says. "That didn't answer my question." she whined like a three-year-old.

"I'm gonna sleep on the couch." he says. Karin shakes her head in negative and smiles sweetly at him "No. You can sleep here with me. If you want."

He watches as she turns her back at him and moves next to the wall. _I hope I am not going to regret this in the morning_, he thought and lays down next to her.


	6. Chapter 5

The Element Of You: Chapter Five

Next morning Yamamoto was sitting at the end of a large wooden table. Around the table were some of his colleagues sitting and talking. "I'm sorry if I am questioning You, but seriously, are you sure he betrayed us and left to the other side?" man with long white hair asked.

Yamamoto looked at him and sighed "I know it is hard to believe it Ukitake. You treat him like your own son sometimes, but it is true. Hinamori Momo visited me yesterday and told me everything.".

A woman with long black hair named Unohana Retsu took her opportunity and said "Are You sure she wasn't exaggerating? After one look, it is easy to believe all kinds of things, even the worst.".

"Doesn't she like Hitsugaya? And seeing him in other woman's apartment leads easily to wrong conclusions." said a man with a black hair. His face didn't hold any expression.

"It may be true that Hinamori Momo likes Hitsugaya and is jealous. But we aren't talking about relationships Kuchiki Byakuya." Yamamoto said looking Byakuya straight in the eyes. Byakuya looked away and Ukitake said "If it is true that Toushirou I mean Hitsugaya has moved over to the other side of the border, what are we going to do about it? Drag him back?".

"That isn't fair for the kid." said Kyouraku Shunsui lazily. He had long brown hair and easy going attitude.

"We aren't deciding what is fair and what isn't Kyouraku. Hitsugaya left on his own which makes him a traitor. I hope you all remember what treatment we give to traitors, Ukitake?" Yamamoto said and looked at Jyuushiro.

Jyuushiro sighs and said "If we catch them they'll face death."

Ichigo and Rukia were outside Karin's small apartment. "I still can't understand two things." Ichigo says irritated. Rukia looks at him in confusion and tilted her head. "One you let _him_ stay with Karin. Two you somehow were able to drag _me _here!" he yelled.

"Shut the fuck up! You can leave if you want to. I didn't make you to come, you just came along 'cos you didn't let me drive your fucking car!" she defended. Ichigo turned away and crossed his arms. Rukia was going to knock when Karin opened the door looking at them angrily. She looked sick and combed her messy jet black hair with her fingers. "Hi Karin!" Rukia smiled brightly at her.

"Why aren't you at school?" Ichigo asked annoyed.

"I'm sick as you can see." Karin answered looking as annoyed as her brother. Karin let them come in and closed the door. Ichigo walked to her living room and found something he didn't want to see… "KARIN!" he yelled. Rukia came almost running to the living room while Karin dragged herself behind Rukia.

"Why do you have an alcohol bottle here?" Ichigo asked holding the bottle in his hand. _Shit! _Karin thought.

"It isn't mine." she defended quickly. "Yea right… If it isn't yours then who's is it?" he asked.

"It's mine." Toushirou said while entering into the living room. He was wearing Karin's black sweatpants and his white T-shirt.

"Wow, you're still alive." Ichigo mocked. "The last time I checked yes I am, thanks to your sister bay the way." Toushirou defended smirking. He walked to Ichigo who was head taller than him. He took the bottle "Thanks." he said and walked into the kitchen.

Karin walked into her room and shut the door behind her. _Fucking hangover!!!_ she thought while placing her pointer fingers on her both temples. Soon she heard knocking "Karin. Can I come in?" Rukia asked. Karin opened the door and let Rukia in. Ichigo mouthed to his sister "We have to talk" and Karin nodded. She closed the door and walked to her closet. Rukia sat on the bed. "Is it okay if I change?" Karin asked her. Rukia shook her head and smiled. Karin grabbed a light blue tank top and a pair of black soccer shorts. After changing she combed her hair and pulled her hair up in a ponytail. She turned to look at Rukia who was laying on her bed and watching the ceiling.

Rukia was wearing a pair of dark blue jeans which's knees were ripped and a black tank top with a matching blouse unzipped. Karin sat next to her and asked "You wanted to talk about something?" Rukia sat up and looked at her feet. Karin saw that Rukia had hard time to pick up the right words. She placed her hand on her shoulder and asked again "You can tell me. What is it?".

Rukia sighed and smiled "It's nothing. Nothing important.". Karin watched as Rukia stood up and walked to the door "Really?" she asked raising an eye brow. Rukia nodded and smiled sweetly at her "Yup. It is nothing I was wondering about something but I forgot what it was." . Karin looked at Rukia for a while but then shrugged.

They exited the room and saw that Ichigo and Toushirou were staring at each other angrily. _If a look could kill they both would be dead by now_, Rukia thought annoyed and heard Karin laughing a bit. Karin walked up to them and sat on her couch. "Ichi-nii why are you and Rukia here?" Karin asked. Ichigo looked at her "It's about _him_." he said looking back at Toushirou. "What about me?" Toushirou asked.

Rukia walked closer to them and sat next to Karin while Ichigo leaned against wall. Toushirou was sitting across the couch on an armchair. "This morning my brother called me and told me some urgent news." Rukia said. "You mean Byakuya?" Toushirou asked. Rukia nodded and continued "He had a meeting with the council this morning. The subject was you. Obviously a friend of yours has told them your whereabouts.". Toushirou shocked and looked at his feet. _It was that woman from yesterday_, Karin thought worried and looked at shocked Toushirou.

For a while no one said anything. "Excuse me. I need to think…" Toushirou said and walked into Karin's room. He shut the door behind him angrily. "Next time that door will break." Ichigo said sighing. He walked around the living room and finally sat next to Rukia on the couch.

"You should maybe leave now." Karin suggested and fingered her jet black hair. "Yea. It didn't went as well as I thought it would." Rukia said standing up. She and Ichigo left and Karin waved after them.

She walked into her room and saw Toushirou sitting on her windowsill. She sat next to him and said "Next time don't unleash your anger on the door. It doesn't deserve it." . Toushirou just sat there staring down.

Karin sighed in boredom "I am not going to sit here and watch you sulking. It ain't fun at all." and hopped back to her room. "You know?_ If_ they find you and arrest you I will help you get free." she said to him trying to cheer him a bit.

He just shrugged at her naïve statement and said "It's not them who I am worried about. If I want I can always go back there and explain myself." . He hopped back into her room. "It's just I am upset about Momo's stupid move." he said sighing. Toushirou walked closer to her and touched the cheek where Hinamori had hit her. It was already healed and didn't leave a scar even if it happened yesterday.

Changing the subject Karin said smiling at him "Bay the way I didn't thank you for lying to Ichi-nii about the bottle." .

"Whatever." he said and kissed her forehead. "I don't know why I did it. But it was fun to watch your shocked face when your brother found it." he whispered into her ear.

He place his hands on her waist and brought her even closer. Karin looked him in the eyes and brought her hands around his neck. He kissed her lightly on her lips. Once he felt Karin kissing him back he started to add more pressure on it. Karin combed his snowy white hair with her fingers while his one hand had disappeared under her shirt and the other hand held her waist. He backed her slowly against the wall. Karin's tongue fought against his and she moaned deeply and slowly. Toushirou smiled against her lips and he pinned her hands above her head. He removed her shirt and watched her upper body. Karin blushed and looked away. She got her hands free and placed her warm small hands under his shirt. She lifted his shirt off and dropped it on the floor.

Toushirou again pinned her hands above her head and kissed her on the lips. He licked her lips and demanded to enter which Karin allowed happily. As their tongues fought for dominance Toushirou released his hands and lifted Karin up in his arms. He placed her on her bed and pulled away a bit. Karin was blushing like a tomato and she looked the floor. Toushirou placed his pointer finger under her chin and lifted her face up so that she looked him in the eyes. Karin cupped his face and kissed him again. He lifted himself above her and put his both hands next to Karin's waist. While kissing him Karin moved her lips lower and started kissing his jaw line. Then his neck. She put more pressure on her kisses and soon stopped on his pulse. Karin lifted their positions so that she was on top now. Toushirou laid on his elbows and looked at her onyx eyes. Karin wore a mysterious smile on her lips.

"Let's see how long you can stay still?" she said and pushed him on his back. Karin kissed his lips and felt him responding. She lifted herself up and placed her pointer finger on his lips "You just stay still." she said and removed her finger. She smiled innocently and watched his teal eyes. Toushirou nodded and relaxed. Karin kissed his lips and then his jaw. She nibbled his earlobe and whispered into his ear "If you move or try anything I'm gonna make you pay."

"Like how?" he answered. Karin chuckled into his ear and said "You'll see."

She licked his jaw line and started kissing her way back down to his neck. She sucked and licked his neck which made him moan deeply. Karin smiled against his neck and kept going. She kissed her way down to his belly button and licked it. After that she kissed her way back up and placed butterfly kisses along the way. Karin looked at his face and saw that his eyes were closed. She kissed his lips and held there for a while. She pulled away and watched as he opened his eyes.

"Looks like I won." Toushirou said smirking. Karin pouted. He kissed her on her lips and licked her lips demanding to enter. Karin smiled against his lips and complied. While their tongues fought Toushirou moved their positions so that he was now on top. When they pulled away he smiled seductively at her "How about we try the same game on you?".

Ukitake and Kyouraku were sitting outside Ukitake's mansion. They haven't been speaking for a while. Ukitake looked around "Someone's coming." he stated. Kyouraku nodded and drank his sake. Matsumoto approached before them. Her long strawberry blond hair was open and she was wearing black jeans and light red blouse revealing a bit too much of her breasts. She bowed and looked both of them.

"I am sorry to disturb you, but I really have to speak with someone about him." she said sounding nervous. Ukitake looked at Kyouraku. Kyouraku sighed and stood up. He left them to speak alone.

"Sit." Ukitake said and pointed the seat next to him where Kyouraku had just sat. Matsumoto sat and clasped her hands together. "Is it true that he just left?" she asked looking at her hands.

Ukitake sighed and didn't say anything for a while. He just looked the garden before him until he looked back at worried Matsumoto. "Yes he left…" those words made her wince, but Ukitake continued "…but I believe he did have a good reason for it. He had never been near the border and I know that he had been interested in the other side of it for long."

Matsumoto looked at him confused "You knew that he would someday just leave like this?". Ukitake nodded and continued "I knew he would leave some day. But I never knew when. Each time we were talking he asked me about the other side. He's most favorite question was 'what kind of fighters are they?' or something like that."

Matsumoto chuckled and let her look drift back to her hands. She sniffed and asked "Do you think he will come back?"

Ukitake thought about it for a moment and said "Maybe he will maybe he won't. But I think that now that he had left to the other side I believe he won't be coming back for a while.". Matsumoto gasped and looked at him. Ukitake nodded and continued "Think about it like this. You have wanted to do something so long that you could almost sell your soul or element for it. And once you have done it you…" Matsumoto interrupted him "…you never want to let it go. I know"

Ukitake smiled at her and grabbed her hand gently. "He will manage." ha said and let go of her hand. Ukitake stood up and left. Matsumoto also stood up and started slowly walking back to her house. _I'm pathetic! Here I am crying about that idiot who left. I should do something useful_, she thought. She stopped in front of stone wall. _This fucking border is messing up with our lives. Creating hallucinations into our minds and consumes them_, she thought while placing one hand on the wall. She started walking next to it. _Come to think of even I haven't been at the other side of this fucking THING!!! _she thought again growing angrier.

Matsumoto kneeled down on the soft grass and placed her both hands on the wall. She closed her eyes and concentrated. Using her earth element she created a whole on the wall. She hummed happily and went through it. _This is gonna be fun_, she thought and started walking along the night's dark streets.

"Did you hear something?" asked black haired man with 69 tattoo on his face.

Renji looked at his friend Hisagi Shuuhei and raised an eye brow. "You sure you ain't tired? I mean you have been guarding now… How long was it?" he said.

"My shift started yesterday 7 pm." Hisagi said. Renji looked at his stubborn friend for a while and then shrugged. _Weird is a right word to describe him sometimes_, he thought and went back to sleep against the wall.

"Oi, if you're gonna go back to sleep, why don't you just leave? It isn't fun to listen your snoring." Hisagi said to Renji. Renji opened his eyes and looked at Hisagi. He shrugged and grabbed his dark brown coat on a chair.

"Fine. See you in the morning." Renji said and flash stepped away. After Renji was completely gone Hisagi looked around. He heard someone moving in the bushes. _I knew someone was here!_ he thought and grabbed his knife. Hisagi wasn't an element bender but he's fighting skills were as good as one's with an element. Hisagi also was able to move as fast as them.

He moved in front of the bushes and waited. Someone rushed out of the bushes and stumbled against his making him fall on his back. "Son of bitch!" he cursed and placed his hand on his head. Hisagi opened his eyes and saw a strawberry blond woman with very large breasts dressed in black jeans and red shirt. Hisagi slowly stood up and stared confusingly at her.

Matsumoto backed away and created vines around herself for protection. Hisagi also backed away and held his knife tightly in his hand. "Who are you?" he asked in a low voice.

"None of your businesses!" Matsumoto yelled and swallowed.

Hisagi chuckled "It is missy. You came here and this isn't your home."

"You're right it isn't. Neither is it Hitsugaya's but you still allow him stay here." Matsumoto stated angrily.

"What?" Hisagi asked. He didn't know that here was another outsider in their side of the border. Matsumoto used her vines and threw Hisagi against the wall and pinned him there. Hisagi dropped his knife and tried to get free.

"Don't bother. They won't loose." Matsumoto chuckled and started walking to Hisagi's knife. She grabbed it and studied it. Hisagi still tried to get free.

Suddenly Matsumoto was threw against a tree with a strong breeze. Hisagi turned his head and saw Renji smirking at Matsumoto. "What are you doing here?" Hisagi asked.

Renji walked up to Hisagi and used his air element as a saw to release him. Once Hisagi was free he grabbed Renji by his shirt and lifted him up, "You just couldn't come any sooner!" he yelled.

"After your stupid comment I left, remember? I had already made it kinda far until I sensed that woman." Renji defended and lifted his hand up. Hisagi sighed and released Renji. They both looked at Matsumoto who struggled to stand up again. Renji chuckled at his little rescue operation which went amazingly well and walked up to Matsumoto. Matsumoto looked shocked at Renji and was able to stand up again.

"Don't come any closer you fucking air bender!" she yelled.

Renji smirked at her "Or what?" he asked. Hisagi pulled Renji back by his shirt and smacked him against the ground.

"You stay right there." Hisagi said and locked his eyes at Matsumoto. Renji sat on the ground and pouted.

Hisagi stepped closer to Matsumoto same time Matsumoto withdrew further. "Shit, will you stop moving already. Look at you, you're obviously hurt." Hisagi said irritated.

Matsumoto placed one of her hands on her ribs and winced. "Way to go pineapple head! My right ribs are fucking broken now!" she yelled and fired daggers at Renji with her icy blued eyes. Renji sighed and said "_Whatever_".

Hisagi looked at Renji and asked "Bay the way Renji. Why didn't anyone tell me that here's another outsider in our territory?"

Renji looked at his friend and smiled goofily "I guess I forgot to tell you. He he.".

Hisagi looked at his friend confused "Forgot? How in the fucking hell were you able to forgot to tell me that here's a fucking enemy!" he yelled.

"Will you shut the hell up! Don't blame only me. Strawberry, Rukia and Karin know that also." Renji defended.

Hisagi's face went red in anger and was going to yell at him, but he was interrupted by Matsumoto, "Will you two ladies shut the fuck up and tell me where my friend is?"

Renji and Hisagi looked at her, then back at each other's. Renji sighed and stood up "You obviously ain't gonna leave without him, aren't you?". Matsumoto shook her head in negative. "Fine. I'll take you to him, but not now. You're hurt so we're gonna have to take you to Urahara." Renji said.

Hisagi looked to Matsumoto and asked "Are able to walk?"

Matsumoto stepped once and winced. "Y-yea, I can if you'll walk slowly.". Both men nodded and started walking with her to Urahara's.

Far away in Hinamori's house Momo was sitting in her armchair watching TV. She searched something worth to watch, but soon grew bored and closed it. She stood up and entered into her balcony and welcomed the cool night air to her face. She opened her bun and let her jet black hair fall down to her shoulders. _I hope the council would start searching him…_ she thought and sat on the railing. _They are just so fucking formal and weak when it comes to traitor. Even the progress to bring him back is going to take months! _she thought furiously and created aura of fire around herself.

She calmed down and walked back to her living room. Hinamori grabbed her purse and took a card out of it. It said:

"_If you need any help to bring him back, give us a call."_

_-Aizen Sousuke_

Hinamori thought about it for a while. _The member who betrayed the council with two of his colleagues Ichimaru Gin and Tousen Kaname. I wonder… _Hinamori grabbed her phone and made a call.


	7. Chapter 6

The Element Of You: Chapter Six

Tuesday morning, Toushirou woke up and saw that it was still dark outside. He shifted a bit and felt someone breathing into his neck. He found Karin sleeping peacefully in his arms. Her lips were so close his neck that he could almost feel them. Toushirou looked at her form and found that they both weren't wearing any clothes. He blushed and fid his face into her hair. That made Karin stir a bit. _Don't wake up now! Continue your sleeping, _he thought and combed her hair with his fingers. As she had heard his thoughts Karin relaxed and continued her sleeping in his arms. Toushirou carefully moved himself free without waking her up. He sat on the edge of her bed and placed his face into his hands. _This wasn't going to happen. I don't even know her so well. Heck, I don't know nothing about her. Only that her birthday is tomorrow_, he thought confusingly. He grabbed his shirt and pants off the floor and got dressed.

Suddenly Karin's cell started beeping(And no, the sounds aren't on. Only the vibration) on her bedside table. Toushirou quickly grabbed it and sneaked into the living room. He sat on the couch and looked the screen of the phone.

_Call from Ichi-nii_

_What the does he want now?_ he thought angrily and pressed the green button to answer. He put the phone next to his ear and waited.

"Yo, Karin! Sorry to wake you up, but this is really important!" Ichigo said sounding nervous. Toushirou didn't answer anything to him. It wasn't even his phone and he really didn't want to speak with Karin's brother.

"Oi, Karin? You there?" Ichigo asked and was starting to get angry. Toushirou sighed, a bit too loud, and Ichigo heard it. _Shit!_ Toushirou thought and pulled the cell away, as far as his arm could reach, from his ear.

"What the fuck? Toushrou! Why do you have Karin's phone and where's Karin?" Ichigo yelled furiously through the cell to Toushirou.

"Will you keep your voice lower. Karin's sleeping and your little call woke me up." Toushirou answered and placed the phone back next to his ear. He could hear Ichigo sighing through the phone and kicking something in anger. For a while neither of the spoke nothing, until Ichigo asked.

"By the way, how was it you and not Karin to wake up? I mean, where were you sleeping if you heard the phone vibrating. Or were the sounds on anyway?" Ichigo asked curiously.

Toushirou swallowed slowly and deeply, "I couldn't sleep that's all." he said trying to convince Ichigo.

Ichigo chuckled and said mockingly "Okay, that's good. Wouldn't want an _outsider_ to sleep with my sister."

Toushirou grew nervous and swallowed again. He didn't say anything, only hold the phone next to his ear. _Shit! What if one day he'll find out that I __did__ have sex with his sister. He'll kill me! _Toushirou thought nervously.

"Oi, Toushirou did you hear me?" Ichigo's voice brought Toushirou back to reality.

"No. Did you say something?" he asked. He heard Ichigo muttering something about "_Fucking day dreamer_".

"Yes I did. Do you know woman named Matsumoto Rangiku?" Ichigo asked.

Toushirou stopped breathing for a while and said, "Why?"

Ichigo shrugged and continued "My friend called me and told me that an earth bender crossed the border and is looking for you. She said her name is Matsumoto. So you know her?"

_What the hell is she doing here? _Toushirou thought and answered. "Yea. I know her. Where is she?"

Ichigo sighed and said "She tried to beat some information about your whereabouts from Renji and Hisagi. Unfortunately she failed and got injured…"

"I asked where is she?" Toushirou interrupted Ichigo and demanded.

Ichigo chuckled and said "She's at Urahara's. If you want I can take you there?"

Toushirou looked at Karin's room's door and answered "Okay, where are you?".

"Can you come to that place where we fought couple of days ago?" Ichigo suggested.

"Um… I guess I'll find my way there." Toushirou answered. The truth was that he haven't been leaving this apartment for two whole days and was carried here when he was unconscious. He heard Ichigo laugh.

"If you don't find you way there in ten to fifteen minutes, just follow my energy." Ichigo chuckled and ended the call. _Show off_, Toushirou thought and placed the phone on the living room's table. He walked back to Karin's room and found out that she was still sleeping. Toushirou grabbed his jeans and dark blue which Karin had washed yesterday and put them on. He walked up to Karin and kneeled down next to her on the floor. Toushirou placed a lock of her jet black hair behind her ear and kissed her forehead. Karin stirred a bit and rolled over so that her back was facing him. Toushirou wanted to laugh but only smiled. He left the room and went to put his shoes on. After that he left the apartment and flash stepped into the dark night.

Hinamori was walking along the corridors in a large dark mansion. Yesterday night she made a call to Aizen and they arranged a meeting for this dark morning. She stopped to large wooden door and knocked. After hearing someone to call her in she entered. The room was large and high. The ceiling was full of pictures which showed all kinds of wars, executions and stories. In the centre of the room was a long table and around it was almost twenty chairs. Hinamori passed them quickly and arrived to a man. He was tall and slim. He had almost white hair, but getting a closer look you could notice that it was silver. He was wearing dark blue jeans and black T-shirt. Over the shirt he had a matching long coat that reached almost to his knees. The most horrifying thing about this man was his smile. Hinamori stared at his big creepy smile and his closed eyes. _Can he even see anything? _she thought and waved her hand in front of him. The man grabbed her wrist wuicjly making Hinamori gasp for fear.

"Even if my eyes are closed miss. I can still see you." he said and released his grip from her hand. Hinamori took a hold of her hand and placed her both hands behind her. The man reached his hand and said "You're Hinamori Momo, aren't you?"

Hinamori shook her hand with his and answered "Y-yes I am. And you sir?"

The man smiled even wider and tilted his head a bit to one side "Ou my. Sorry for being so rude. My name is Ichimaru Gin. I am Aizen's colleague." . Hinamori nodded and saw that he turned around "Shall we go and take you to meet him?" he asked. Hinamori nodded in agreement and started following Ichimaru who opened a door for her.

On their way they came across with some strange people. A man with electric blue hair and a wicked grin smiled at Hinamori. Hinamori turned her face away from him and kept walking behind Ichimaru. The other strange person was also a man. He was almost as pale as snow and his shoulder length hair was jet black, so was his eyes. He's clothes were all black (jeans, shirt and coat). Hinamori stared at his beautiful face that didn't held any expression. The man noticed her staring and bowed at her. Hinamori nodded to him and kept walking. The last person that she and Ichimaru came across with was dark skinned. He was wearing glasses which lens' were pitch black. He had dreadlocks and was wearing jeans which both knees were ripped open, black shirtless shirt and black coat which's length compared to Ichimaru's coat's. Hinamori and Ichimaru walked past him.

Suddenly Ichimaru spoke to her without looking back "If I am allowed to ask you, what services are you asking from Aizen?"

"I am sorry, but it is none of your businesses." Hinamori said in a stern voice and send draggers into his head.

"Very well then." Ichimaru chuckled and stopped walking. "We are her." he said and opened a large wooden door for her. Hinamori looked at him confused. "Just walk to the end of the room." Ichimaru said smiling.

Hinamori nodded and started walking. She heard the door was closed behind her and she grew nervous. The room was just like the room where she met Ichimaru, but it didn't have table in it. Only bookcases which were filling the walls from the top to bottom. Hinamori stopped and looked at the books. _He obviously reads a lot_, she thought and took one book into her hands. It was as thin as her childhood's diary. Its covers were red and filled with some sort of print that circled it from the front to back. Hinamori looked around for witnesses. When she saw no one, she opened it and started reading. The language in the book was old, very old. _How old is this book? _she thought and put it back to its place. She heard footsteps and kept walking. While walking Hinamori noticed that the bookcases suddenly disappeared and were replaced with paintings. _How long is this room?!_ she thought in boredom and kept walking. She didn't look any of those paintings just kept walking. When she finally came to the end of the room she arrived to a door.

"This was a fucking corridor, again?" she cursed aloud. She knocked the door softly and entered into the room when she heard someone call her in.

_Please don't tell me this is another corridor_, she thought in frustration. She saw a man with brown hair walk to her and reached his hand.

"Welcome Hinamori Momo my name is Aizen Sousuke. I am so grateful that you found your way here. Did anything unusual happen during your way here?" the man said and shook his hand with hers.

"Thank you and no. Nothing happened. I was escorted here by your colleague Ichimaru Gin." Hinamori answered smiling. Aizen walked to his couch and sat on it. Hinamori walked to the couch and sat on the other end of it. She looked at her intertwined fingers.

"So, how may I help you?" Aizen asked in a gentle voice.

Hinamori looked at him sternly. "How well are you aware of our land's current events?"

Aizen looked at her brown eyes and sighed "I am well aware of your homeland's events and troubles. After all I was once their council's member."

"But you betrayed them with your companions, didn't you?" Hinamori said quickly after his statement. Aizen smiled and shrugged, _She isn't that dumb after all_, he thought.

"Aren't you sharp one." he said. "Yes I did betray them, but may I ask you. Why do you ask my help? I know I left you my card, but I never truly believed that you could have the courage to call me. Why?"

Hinamori turned to look away from his gentle face. She shook her head and sighed "If you were one of the council's member once, you do know how long do their processes go."

Aizen chuckled and said "Yes I do. That is the one reason why I left. Their processes proceed, how do you say it, slowly?"

Hinamori turned to look at him again and nodded. "Then you must understand why did I call you?" she said.

Aizen nodded for her answer and said "I understand. Where do you need my help?"

Hinamori sighed deeply "How well were you aware of our land's problems?"

Aizen kept smiling and said "You mean, when Hitsugaya crossed the border and left to the other side?". Hinamori winced a bit, but didn't went unnoticed by Aizen. She turned to look back at her hands and nodded. Aizen continued "He is your friend, isn't he?"

Hinamori nodded once again "My best friend who just left without saying anything to me." she said sounding angry and grabbed the fabric on the couch. Her angry emotions made her element flare and she started burning the couch. Aizen calmly stood up and grabbed a bottle of water on the table which was standing in front of the wall. Hinamori noticed what she had done and stood up. She backed away a bit from the couch and let Aizen pour the water on the burned couch.

"I am so sorry! I should have controlled my emotions." Hinamori apologized and bowed her head in shame. After pouring the water on the couch. Aizen placed the now empty bottle on the floor walked up to Hinamori. He placed a finger under her chin and lifted her face up so that he could see her face.

"Yes, you should have controlled them, but it was understandable. You feel sadness for your friends actions and you're depressed." he said gently. Hinamori relaxed by his kind words and smiled. Aizen smiled back at her and continued "So, where did you need my help?"

Hinamori gasped replaced her smiling face with angry look. She backed away from him and kept her look in his brown eyes. "After Hitsugaya's left I went after him to find out what had happened to him. His tracks weren't hard to follow. He had fought against someone, obviously fire bender because the roof were they had fought was covered with ice and ash." she said.

"So do you want me to track his opponent down?" Aizen interrupted her.

"No. Nothing like that. I don't care who his opponent was. Heck, I don't even know did he win. But I followed his energy to a little house. I found him there sitting on a bed, wounded…" she continued and her voice was drifting away.

"Keep going." Aizen said which brought her back to reality.

She looked at him and continued after swallowing, "As I said, I found him there lying on a bed. He clearly wasn't happy to see me and ordered me to leave. And as stubborn as usually I didn't comply, I just stayed there. It was a mistake. A mistake which made me realize how stupid I have been." she said in an angry voice. Aizen kept looking at her eyes and saw that enormous anger which was held inside her. "Please, continue." he said.

Hinamori nodded "The mistake happened when the owner of that house where my friend was being arrived there. It was a woman, younger than me. She was slim, had long jet black hair and matching eyes. She also had the most horrible nature that I have ever seen. I don't know her name, but all I do know is that she means something to him."

"How is that?" Aizen asked confused.

Hinamori swallowed again and continued "After she had arrived, she started demanding reasons, like why are you here and stuff. After I had introduced myself and asked questions she started mocking Toushirou's skills. And as an impulse I slapped her face. I hit her hard enough to make her cheek bleed. After my hit she grabbed my shirt and lifted me up. She was going to hit me unless Toushirou hadn't been there to grab her wrist and stop her. He ordered that woman to release me and she complied. After that she backed away a bit and Toushirou helped me to stand up and he ordered me to leave at once.". Aizen looked at her and thought, _Young love is so unfair sometimes. _

"I started to protest his demanding but he made it clear to me, clear as a crystal, that he didn't need or even want me there. He escorted me to the door and told me to not come back, and with that he closed the door and I left." Hinamori finished her story and was now almost crying. Aizen came closer to her and pulled her into a hug. Hinamori was now crying silently into his chest. Aizen patted her back and asked "Do you want to make him pay for not noticing how much you mean to him?"

Hinamori shook her head in negative, but said "I don't want to harm him. I never will be able to do that. All I do want is to make that bitch pay for stealing his heart from me.". Aizen nodded and said "So be it."

Ichigo was waiting Toushirou on the roof where they had fought in Saturday night. He had been there for a while and was bored to death. _How long will it take for that shrimp to get here? _he thought and kicked the roof. The house underneath him was empty. The owners had been away for months, probably on a long holiday or something. _If he'll not be here in two minutes I'm gonna have to search him,_ Ichigo thought again and sat on the roof. He looked up to the still dark sky. The stars were shining as bright as usual. Ichigo created a tiny fire ball in his large hand and looked at it. _Sometimes… I wish no one would have this kind of ability_, he thought and sighed, _Maybe Yuzu and Karin are right. Fighting against others and getting stronger is a waste of time… _Suddenly he heard someone light land behind him. He stood up and looked behind.

"So, you finally decided to show up. I was getting tired already." Ichigo smirked at Toushirou who was looking at him tiredly.

"You were right it was easy to follow your energy, 'cos you don't know how to hide it." Toushirou mocked. Ichigo just shrugged, he was as tired as him and wanted to get some sleep.

"After I have shown you the way to Urahara's, I'll leave. I really wanna sleep." Ichigo yawned and moved his fingers through his bright spiky orange hair. Toushirou nodded and with that they took off.

Karin rolled over and looked for something, or for someone. She opened her eyes and didn't see Toushirou next to her. _Where is he?_ Karin thought and sat up. She leaned against the wall and listened. _No one's here,_ she thought and then suddenly remembered what they had done. She pulled her legs to her naked chest in panic. _I-I had sex with stranger!_ she thought and started shaking. She thought about him and stopped shaking, _Well, he isn't complete stranger, but still I have only known him for couple days!_ Karin thought and started shaking again. She looked at her hands and tried to keep them still. She moved to the bed's edge and reached for her shirt. She pulled it to her chest and stood up. Her walking was bit unsteady and she almost fell. She grabbed all her clothes from the floor and threw them on the floor in a pile. She opened her closet and took out a black loose T-Shirt that reached to her thighs and pulled it on. Then she took a pair of white socks and black leggings and dressed them on.

After she finished her dressing she back to her bed. _Shit, my muscles are so useless now! _she thought in anger. She tossed the blanket into the corner and grabbed the bed's sheets. With one pull she took them off and tossed them onto the pile on the floor. She winced a bit and felt some pain. Karin sat on the bed and placed her face into her hands. _When my friends told in school that after your first time the feeling will be painful. I never thought it will be this painful. Son of a bitch! _she thought and massaged her temples. _I am so gonna need a shower_, she thought and stood up. She walked to the pile and grabbed it into her hands. With that Karin exited her room and entered into her bathroom.

Karin threw her clothes and sheets into the washing machine and started to fill it with other white laundry. After filling the machine she started it and started to take of her clothes that she just had put on. She left them on the floor and entered the shower. Standing under the cold water Karin relaxed. _It feels so nice…_she thought smiling and sat on the floor. The cold water reminded Karin of him and his cold body. She loved to be near him. His cool form helped her to relax and his strong arms where she had slept for a while made her feel safe. Karin stood up again and grabbed a bottle of shampoo. She sat on the floor again, under the water, and put some shampoo in her hair. Karin massaged her hair and washed it off. _Do I love him? It is too early to say, but I do like him and care for him. Maybe someday I could love him, but only if could get to know him better… _she thought and turned the water off. Karin remained on the floor and started crying. She cried for the feeling that she was alone now. She cried because of the pain she felt, but mostly Karin cried because she didn't understand what she means to Toushirou and why didn't she push him away.

Ichigo and Toushirou arrived to a small brown wooden house. It looked like an old store. Ichigo waited for a while and watched as Toushirou took few steps towards the house. "After you were taken to Karin's house. Rukia called her next day and asked suggested that we could have brought you here to recover." Ichigo said.

Toushirou turned to look at Ichigo. "You tried to put me here? In an old tiny shop?" he asked. Ichigo laughed at his comment. "But, why did I stay at your sister then?" Toushirou asked.

Ichigo shrugged and said "I dunno. Rukia told me that Karin told her it was okay to keep you there. She also told me that you were being too quiet which almost drove her insane."

Toushirou looked angrily at Ichigo "Gee, thanks. I really wanted to know that. So who is this Urahara person?" he asked.

Ichigo looked at the house and sighed "Urahara Kisuke is a very creepy shopkeeper. He also is an element bender, but his element has been unknown to all of us. Even if he trained one of us, he never used his element, he only used his pure strength and fighting skills."

"Wow. Sounds like a strong man." Toushirou said in awe and looked at the house.

Ichigo laughed at his comment and said "Yea, he is strong but that's not the reason why we are afraid of him.". Toushirou turned to look at Ichigo confusingly. Ichigo just chuckled and said to Toushirou mysteriously "The scary part of you're gonna have to find out yourself." and pushed him inside the store.

"Why you son of a …!" Toushirou cursed and turned to look at Ichigo but saw only empty street. Toushirou turned to look at the store and was greeted by a punch into his stomach.

"Who the hell are you? said a young man with red hair. Toushirou gasped for air to breath and put one of his hands up to show that he didn't mean harm. The read haired man looked angrily at Toushirou who was now able to stand up correctly. "So? Who the hell are you?" he asked again.

"My name is Hitsugaya Toushirou and I am looking for Matsumoto Rangiku. I was told that she had been taken here. Who are you?" Toushirou said sounding as irritated as the red haired man in front of him.

"Hanakari Jinta." he said and turned walked past him. "Did you also have to break the door while you came here?" Jinta asked and grabbed some now broken boards.

"Sorry, but that man named Ichigo threw me in. Anyway is Matsumoto here?" Toushirou said in a hurry. Jinta looked at Toushirou and yawned lazily. "If you mean that big bosomed woman who's whining all the time the yes she's here. Just follow her whining and you'll find her?" Jinta said and pointed a door in the back of the house.

"Thanks." Toushirou said and ran to the door. He opened the door and dumped at a young woman. Toushirou turned to look at her. She was slightly taller than him and had black hair that was held in two ponytails. Her face looked sad and she and had black eyes. "I-I am sorry, but can you show me the way to Matsumoto Rangiku?" Toushirou asked and heard Jinta laughing at him. _Just ignore him, _Toushirou thought and saw that woman turning around and opening a door for him. Toushirou walked to the door and looked into the room.

"M-matsumoto?" he said in confusion. In the middle of the room Matsumoto was sitting on a futon. She had her hair tied up in a ponytail and her side was bounded. Matsumoto looked up and smiled at him. Toushirou walked next to her and sat on the floor. Ururu closed the door and let them speak in private.

"Nice to see you. You're doing well, unlike me." Matsumoto said in a soft voice and winced a bit.

"What happened to you? Why are you here?" he asked.

Matsumoto looked at her hands and she said "Well after we heard that you left, the council categorized you as a traitor. By the way, congrants for that title.". Toushirou chuckled at her and allowed her to continue, "I just wanted to know why? So, yesterday I talked with Ukitake and he told me that you were always asking him about this side and stuff. After that I just left, just like you." she finished and looked at him smiling. She noticed that he wasn't looking at her anymore, he was looking at his hands. "Something wrong?" she asked.

"What are they going to do about me?" Toushirou asked.

Matsumoto sighed and said amazingly cheerfully "I dunno. As you know they never tell me anything what the council has decided."

Toushirou nodded and looked at her "I guess you're not going back there?". Matsumoto shook her head in negative and kept smiling at him. "I didn't think so." he stated. Toushirou stood up and walked around the room. "What are they gonna do to you here?" he asked.

Matsumoto clapped her hands together and winced. "The shopkeeper told me, by the way he's a creepy man, that I can stay here until my ribs are healed." she said.

Toushirou nodded "It will take you only few of weeks to heal 'cos you're an earth bender. So, any plans after your recover?" he asked.

Matsumoto shook her head in negative and said "Noup! But that's okay. I'll come up with a plan while I'm here. But that's enough of me, what about you? Where are you staying?"

Toushirou was taken aback by her question. Matsumoto looked at him confusingly "Well?" she asked. He combed his messy hair with his fingers and sighed "I'm staying in a small apartment owned by young woman named Kurosaki Karin." he said simply. Matsumoto's eyes widened in shock and cheer. Toushirou saw that she was going to say something, loudly, so he placed his both hands on her mouth to shut her up. "And don't say anything 'cos you know nothing." he said sounding a bit angry.

Matsumoto nodded and Toushirou removed his hands from her mouth. Matsumoto smiled at his and asked "So, what's she like?".

Toushirou shrugged and answered blushing a bit "She's nice. At least she hasn't thrown me out yet." . _But I think she will_, he thought worriedly and looked at his hands.

Matsumoto saw that and stopped smiling. She placed one hand on his shoulder and he lifted his look to her eyes. "Something has happened, am I right?" she asked. Toushirou didn't say anything. He once again just looked at his hands. "You can tell me anything. I'm your friend." she stated.

He didn't move for minutes, but then nodded. Matsumoto took her hand back to her lap and waited. "You don't have any idea how badly I have messed up." he said and started to tell Matsumoto about his time there.

Aizen walked to Hinamori who was standing in front of that couch she had burned. "If it is okay, we will start our process during this week?" he asked. Hinamori nodded and started to take her leave. She stopped to the room's door and opened it. She turned to look at him and said "You may start as soon as possible. And as for your payment, I'll give it to you when the job is done.". Aizen nodded in agreement and bowed to her. Hinamori bowed also and left.


	8. Chapter 7

The Element Of You: Chapter Seven

Yuzu was dragging herself tiredly to downstairs. It was now four o'clock and someone was knocking very impatiently on her door. "I'm coming! I'm coming!" she yelled angrily. She was wearing her baby blue pajama pants and bright yellow top. Over her shoulders she had light brown scarf to keep herself warm. Yuzu walked to her door and asked "Who's there?"

"Yuzu, it's me Karin. Please open the door." Yuzu heard her sister's pleading. Yuzu opened the door slowly and was surprised when Karin threw herself into her twin's arms. Yuzu closed the door and allowed Karin to cry into her chest. "Karin-chan? What happened?" Yuzu asked and patted her sister's midnight black hair.

Karin pulled away and revealed her teary eyes. She was still wearing those clothes she had picked up after she had woken up alone in her apartment. She had dried up after the cold shower and left right away. Now Karin's mind was so messed up that she needed to talk to someone. Yuzu looked at her sister and took her arm. She lead Karin to the living room and sat her on the couch. Seeing her twin like this was so confusing. Karin was always so strong and full of life, but now she looked so vulnerable and scared that even a tine breeze could break her. Yuzu sat next to her sister and took her arms in hers. "Tell me. What happened?" Yuzu asked sounding like a mother even if she was still seventeen.

Karin looked at their hands and swallowed. "You remember that guy we ran across two or three days ago?" Karin said quietly.

"You mean that one you tried to beat up?" Yuzu asked.

Karin nodded and continued "That same night, did you felt anything unusual?". Yuzu thought about it for a while and nodded. "What was it that you felt?" Karin asked. She wanted to first make it clear to Yuzu what had happened in these days.

"I felt Ichigo using his energy, a lot, like he was fighting against someone." Yuzu answered. Karin nodded and Yuzu tilted her head in confusion "Who was he fighting with? Was it that guy?". Karin nodded once again. "Why didn't no one tell me?!" Yuzu asked and pulled away.

Karin pulled her hands back and said "Because he didn't cause any problems. Ichi-nii won.". Yuzu relaxed and let Karin continue. "He is an ice bender and his name is Hitsugaya Toushirou. After his and Ichi-nii's fight, I heard from Rukia-nee that they both lost consciousness. I came here to get my key remember?" Yuzu nodded "On my way back to my home I ran across Renji and Rukia, who were trying to come up with an idea where would they put Toushirou. Rukia, being as "nice" as usual, gave him to me. To this day he has been staying in my place and…" Karin stopped.

"And?" Yuzu asked curiously.

"And it has been great. He's a great guy. Maybe too quiet, but that's okay." Karin finished creating a fake smile on her face. She stood up and started walking to the door. Yuzu quickly took a hold of her sister's hand and stopped her. "That's not all, isn't it?" she asked. Karin stared at her sister and her eyes started to fill with tears again. Yuzu pulled her twin into a hug and rubbed her back soothingly.

"Last night we, we… I don't know why I didn't push him away. I like him, but it was too soon!" Karin cried. Yuzu's eyes popped open in shock and she pulled her sister into a tighter hug. Yuzu kept running her hand up and down soothingly along Karin's back until she stopped crying. Karin pulled away and looked at her feet.

Yuzu placed a finger under her sister's chin and lifted her look to her face. "You're gonna have to talk to him. You can't avoid it, I hope you know it. If he cares about you, he will understand. I am gonna come with you, okay? We'll face him together. But now were both gonna go back to sleep and you'll stay here, understand?" Yuzu smiled to her twin and wiped the last tears away from her cheeks. Karin returned the smile and hugged her.

"Thanks Yuzu. You're the best." she said smiling.

Matsumoto was looking now very depressed Toushirou who was sitting against the wall. She had listened his story about his fight against Ichigo, his unpleasant encounter with Hinamori and his very confusing relationship with Karin. Matsumoto tried to move, but she winced. _Fucking rib, heal faster! _she thought angrily. She looked at Toushirou again who had his legs pressed against his chest and his chin on them. He wasn't looking at anything just staring the floor and thinking.

"What are you gonna do now?" Matsumoto asked him.

Toushirou blinked quickly and looked at her without lifting his chin. "I dunno. I mean, I know I'm gonna have to face her eventually and talk to her, but I don't know what to say to her." he said.

"You could start saying that you're sorry. You left her alone after you guys had sex. It really wasn't nicely done." Matsumoto said and looked at him disappointedly.

Toushirou shrugged and said "Yea, I know. But after hearing that you're here and wounded, I needed to know how badly."

"Aww, that was a kind thing to do." Matsumoto said smiling lovely. Toushirou shrugged and stood up and turned. "Where you're going?" Matsumoto asked curiously.

"I'm gonna go now and talk to Karin." Toushirou answered and opened the door. To Toushirou's horror he was greeted with a punch to his face. He collapsed on the floor and yelled in anger "What the hell is wrong with you all?".

"My, my, I should have asked that from you, shouldn't I?" said a man holding a cane. Toushirou looked up and saw a tall man with strange dark green clothing and a hat. He had a blond hair and the hat was covering his eyes. The man lifted Toushirou up by his shirt and asked "Who are you and why did you break my shop's door?"

_So he's the shopkeeper Urahara Kisuke_, Toushirou thought looking at his face. The man released him and dropped him on the floor. "Well? I asked you a question, didn't I?" Urahara asked.

"I'm Hitsugaya Toushirou, a friend of Matsumoto's. And for the last time, I didn't break your door. A man named Kurokari Ichigo threw me in." Toushirou answered.

Urahara laughed and lifted his hat to reveal his eyes. "But it was _you_ who were used as a tool to break the door, weren't you?" he stated. Toushirou shrugged to his comment and looked at wooden the floor.

Urahara walked to Matsumoto and looked at her. "How's your rib?" he asked. Matsumoto smiled at him and placed both her hands onto her stomach "It's okay. But I am so hungry."

Urahara raised an eye brow and asked curiously "Again?". Matsumoto nodded which made Urahara sigh deeply. "Ururu?" he called. The sad looking black haired woman named Ururu appeared to the door and bowed. "Could you be so kind and bring miss Matsumoto more food?" Urahara asked his smile as creepy as usual. Ururu looked at Matsumoto confusingly, but nodded and left. Toushirou walked to the door "See ya Matsumoto." he said and left. Before he was too far away he heard Matsumoto yelling at him "Good luck!".

It was now nine o'clock and Rukia was lying on her back on the couch in their living room. She was reading a magazine and had her cell phone on the coffee table. After every page she read she lifted her look from the magazine to her cell and back. It was clear that Rukia was waiting a call. She dropped the magazine onto her lap and sighed in boredom. _This is so fucking frustrating! _she thought and lifted herself up. Rukia threw the magazine on the coffee table and grabbed the tiny grey phone into her small hands. _He must be doing this on purpose! He knows how impatient I can be! _she thought angrily and felt like freezing the phone back to the ice age. Rukia walked into the kitched and placed the phone on the dining table. She took a glass from a cabinet and put ice cold water in it from the tap. She sat on a chair around the kitchen table placed the glass full of water in front of her.

Rukia started to play with the water by turning it to ice and then melting it back to water. _I am so bored when he's not around. I can't believe I'm so addicted to his presence_, she thought and kept playing with the water. Suddenly the phone started beeping and Rukia quickly grabbed the cell, same time pushing the glass over. She sighed in relief and saw that the glass was full of ice. Rukia pushed the green button and answered "What took you so long?" she said sounding angry.

She heard chuckling from the phone "Sorry." Ichigo said. Rukia put the phone on the table and place the speaker on. She placed the glass above the sink and melted the ice back to water. After pouring the water away she placed the now empty glass on the table and said "Well? What did Yuzu want?". She heard Ichigo sighing "I thought it was nothing important but Yuzu just ranted me about why I haven't told her about Toushirou and stuff.". Rukia blinked in confusion and asked "That's odd. Why did she do that?". Ichigo just shrugged and then remembered that Rukia couldn't see him, so he said "You tell me. I was as surprised as you are. Karin was also there but she didn't even look at me. When I asked what was wrong she closed herself into her room and Yuzu said she was upset about something.". Rukia was now messed up by the twin's behavior "I don't understand. Was she crying or something?" she asked.

Rukia gasped in horror and dropped the phone when she felt someone tapping on her shoulder. She turned around and saw Ichigo standing behind her, smirking at her. "Don't you ever scare me like that, you idiot." she ranted at him angrily. "Nice see you too." Ichigo said and gave her a chaste kiss on her lips. Rukia shrugged and lifted her phone up. She placed it on the kitchen table and stood up. Turning to look at Ichigo she asked "So answer my question? What the hell was wrong with them?". Ichigo leaned against the sink and sighed "I dunno. After seeing Karin like that Yuzu just pushed me out of the house and changed he personality back to miss sunshine.". Rukia walked in front of him and placed one hand on the place where his heart was. "You're gonna go back there aren't ya?" she asked leaning against his body. Ichigo placed his both hands onto her small waist and kissed her head. "Yea. I just want to make sure what was wrong with them?" he said into her hair. Rukia nodded into his chest and breathed in his scent. _He smells always so nice_, she thought happily.

Karin and Yuzu were eating breakfast around the table. The atmosphere in the kitchen was heavy. Yuzu took a bite of her toast and looked at her twin who was almost same time sleeping and sitting up. Karin didn't got any sleep after talking with Yuzu. Her muscled were still a bit weak, but her walking didn't wobble anymore. Karin twirled the spoon in her cereals but didn't eat. She didn't want to. Yuzu felt bad and scared seeing her twin like this. "You're thinking about him, aren't you?" Yuzu asked and looked at her twin. Karin was taken aback by her sister's question and she asked confusingly "What are you implying?". Yuzu shrugged and said smiling innocently "I know you're mad at him, probably furious, but you also said you like him. Am I right?".

Karin blushed and looked away "So? What if I was?". Yuzu giggled and kept the innocent look on her face. "I was right." she stated happily humming. Karin looked confusingly at her sister "Right about what?" she asked curiously. Yuzu shook her head in negative and took the dished in her slender hands. She placed them in the sink and hummed some silly song. "Oi, tell me! What were you right about?" Karin asked impatiently. Yuzu turned to look at her sister and clapped her hands together. She shook once again her head in negative "It isn't nothing important." she said stickin her tongue at her. Karin took her cereal bowl into her hands and walked to her twin. She poured her unfinished breakfast into the trash and placed her now empty bowl into the sink with her sister's dishes. Karin placed her hands on her hips and looked demandingly at her innocently smiling twin. She nudged lightly Yuzu and asked "Seriously tell me. I really wanna know." Yuzu finally stopped her silly smiling and looked at her sister "I was right about this: You have a huge crush on him. Each time you spoke about him, about how great he is or how good looking he is, you always blushed like a silly teenage girl who has her first crush on some stupid celebrity." Yuzu stated and saw Karin blushing once again. "See? And each time you think about him, it feels like talking to empty walls 'cos you don't answer." Yuzu continued her little speech which only made Karin blush even more.

"And so what if I like him? I already admitted it, didn't I?" she asked sounding irritated. Yuzu nodded and asked "When do you wanna talk to him?". Karin looked at Yuzu and shrugged "I dunno. I don't even know what to say to him. Yell at him? About what? I'm just so fucking confused and messed up right now!" she yelled in panic and hugged herself. Yuzu hugged her twin and rubbed her back soothingly. "From what I have heard from you about him, he isn't horrible. He'll listen you if you want. And I'm sure he's just as confused as you are right now." Yuzu whispered into her sister's ear. "Then why did he left me alone?" Karin asked fighting against tears. _What'll I answer to that?! _Yuzu thought in panic. When Karin didn't demand an answer from her, she let it be.

After Karin was able to keep her tears away she pulled away from Yuzu and smiled a bit "I am so weak and pathetic, aren't I?" she asked laughing half-heartedly. "It's understandable why you're acting like this. Don't worry, it'll pass in time. Soon you'll be like you used to be: the loudmouthed young woman who'll stand behind her opinions and thoughts." Yuzu said smiling. Karin laughed and said "Yea, loudmouthed. That's a perfect word to describe me, isn't it?".

"No! That's not what I meant! I meant that you're..." Yuzu said in panic. "It's okay, doesn't matter." Karin interrupted her twin and smiled. Yuzu nodded and started washing the dishes.

Karin walked into her old room and closed the door behind her. She walked to a mirror which showed her whole form. Karin looked at her now sad looking face and her open messy jet black hair. Karin took a brush from her bedside table and started brushing her hair while looking herself from the mirror. Her big, baggy and black T-shirt was hanging on her and her also black leggings were covering her long slim legs perfectly. Karin kept brushing her hair and thought, _What am I gonna do about this fucking mess?, _and placed the brush on her lap. She sighed in frustration and stood up, same time dropping the hair brush on the floor. She walked into the kitchen and found Yuzu putting now clean dishes back in the cabinets. Karin swallowed and walked behind her twin. Yuzu turned around after she had put the dishes away and asked "Karin-chan what's wrong?". Karin looked at her twin and bowed her head "Yuzu, I am sorry but I want to talk to him alone. It'll only be very awkward to you and…".

Yuzu took her sister's hands in hers and shook her head "Don't. I was just going to come there if you needed me as support, but you don't so it's okay. And you're right it would be _kinda_ awkward for me to be there when you two are yelling or talking about your last night together and stuff. So it's okay." Yuzu said and released Karin's hands. Karin nodded in agreement and said "Thanks Yuzu. Changing the subject, how's your relationship with Jinta going?". Yuzu blushed as deep red as a tomato and poked her tongue out "None of your business!" she said and smirked. Karin laughed and walked to the exit door. She put her shoes on and pulled her hair up in a ponytail. She looked herself from a tiny mirror on the wall and smiled to her now more happier face. "Good luck." Yuzu said softly and leaned against the kitchen's door frame. Karin nodded and opened the door to take her leave.

Toushirou had arrived back to Karin's apartment about an hour ago and was shocked when he didn't found Karin there. He searched the whole tiny apartment and was now lying on the couch on his back. _I am so dead, I am so dead, I am so dead,_ he thought over and over again. Karin flas stepped in front of her apartment's door and walked in. She had felt his could presence form far outside and her stomach was full of butterflies. _I hope I am not gonna throw up_, she thought and placed her hand on her stomach. She walked into her living room and was suddenly welcomed by a gentle hug. Toushirou breathed her scent in and out and said "I'm sorry.". Karin pulled herself free from his arms and took a few steps away from him. When he took a step forward she place one hand in front of her and said "Don't come any closer. Don't you dare.". Her eyes were under her hair and Toushirou thought she was crying. She lifted her gaze to his eyes and he saw only confusion in them. "Tell me something. What do I mean to you? I mean why the fuck are you still here?" she asked sounding pissed off, a lot.

"Pardon?" he asked and backed away few steps. "Just answer the question?!" Karin yelled and created a fire ball into her right hand.

Toushirou shook his head in negative and sighed "I dunno. My head's so messed up right now." he said and took a step closer to her. Karin aimed the fire ball at him and threatened "One more step and I'll fire this.". He backed away and said "I could ask the same question from you, what do I mean to you? If you didn't want me yesterday why didn't you just push me away. Then we wouldn't be in this shitty situation!". Karin was taken aback by his question and comment that she lowered her hand away from him and she extinguished the fire away from her hand. She laughed half-heartedly and looked at her feet. "We're an odd pair, aren't we?" she stated. Toushirou shrugged and took a step closer to her. When she didn't do anything he walked close enough to her and pulled her into his arms. Karin gasped in shock and placed her face against his chest. She returned the hug and placed her hands around his lower back. Toushirou kissed the top of her head and placed his chin on her head. "We are. But that's okay to me." he said in a low voice. Karin nodded against his chest and agreed "It's okay to me too, if…".

"If?" he asked and kept her still in his arms. "If you'll tell me two things. One, why don't want to go back to your home and to your friends? And two, why did you leave?" she asked sounding hurt. He pulled her closer to him and answered "One, I don't want go back, because there's nothing for me. I grew tired of their rules and had always been interested about this side of the border. And last Saturday I just left, just like that.". Karin nodded and was starting to drift to sleep in his hold, but managed to ask without yawning "What about my second question? Why did you left me?". Toushiou sighed "When I woke up in last night you're phone beeped. It was your brother. I didn't want to wake you up so I answered" Karin's eyes popped open in confusion and she started squirming in his arms to get free. Toushirou pulled her back and continued "As I said it was your brother. He was just as confused about why it was me and not you to answer your phone as you're now. He told me that a friend of mine came here to look for me and got wounded when she attacked against some air bender"

_Renji! _Karin thought and started squirming again but was quickly pulled back to his chest "Will you stop that squirming and listen. Your brother escorted me to her. She's at that Urahara's shop and two of her ribs are broken." Karin lifted her look to him and asked "Who is she?".

"Her name is Matsumoto Rangiku. She's probably the most annoying person this planet, but she's also a very close friend to me." he answered and smiled to her. _He should really smile more often, _Karin thought and placed her head back against his chest. "So you left me 'cos you needed to see that she was okay?" she asked sounding a bit jealous. "Yes, and I'm sorry about that. Even Matsumoto ranted to me about that." Toushirou said. Karin nodded and yawned suddenly. She blushed like hell and pulled away. Toushirou chuckled at her which made her blush more. "You're tired?" he asked smirking. Karin placed a lock of her midnight black hair behind her ear and nodded "After I woke up alone I couldn't get anymore sleep." she said looking at her feet. Hearing her said that made him bow his head in shame. Karin leaned back to him and lifted his face up to look at her. She cupped his both cheeks and placed a light kiss on his lips. When she pulled away she took his hand in hers and made a suggestion with another yawning "I'm gonna take a nap, you wanna join me?". Toushirou looked into her onyx eyes and gave her a chaste kiss on her lips. He nodded and let Karin take him to her room. Karin quickly drifted into sleep. She was in his strong arms, feeling safe, her face in his chest and her small hands around his waist. Theirs both legs were wrapped together. His other leg was between hers while the other one was under her legs. Toushirou looked at her peaceful sleeping face in wonder. His other hand was under his head, because he had thrown the pillow away, while the other was loosely around her lower back. _She's a puzzle_, he thought and closed his eyes.

Hinamori walked along the streets. She welcomed the sun's warm rays to her smiling happy face. She noticed a beautiful violet next to the street. _How is it possible that there's a flower growing next to a cement road without grass or water? _Hinamori wondered and kneeled next to it. She touched its beautiful petals and smiled as it wobbled lightly because of the warm breeze. She stood up and continued her walking. Hinamori was anxiously waiting for the end of this week. By then she had beaten the life out of Karin. Hinamori hated her, more than anything. Karin had stolen her best friend's heart. Hinamori was so happy when Toushirou defended her, but when he demanded her to leave him alone and not to come back she didn't know him anymore. The Toushirou she knew didn't ever push her away and for that she can only thank that bitch Karin. Hinamori bit her lip and tried to control her anger. _I'll make her pay!_ she thought angrily. "Good afternoon miss Hinamori!" Hinamori cooled down her anger quickly and saw a smiling face of Kyouraku and behind him his always as stern looking secretary Ise Nanao.

"G-good morning!" Hinamori said and bowed. Nanao pushed her glasses higher and looked away. _She's as impolite as usual,_ Hinamori thought and smiled innocently as she lifted her look up again. Nanao was wearing khakis and a white T-shirt. She had her hair as usually pulled up in a bun and had black high heels. Kyouraku saw his secretary's face and nudged her lightly on the shoulder. Nanao looked angrily at him and stamped down on his foot making him yell in pain. "Shit! Nanao-chan why are you so mean to me?" he whined and took a hold of his foot.

"Keep your dirty hands off me." she said in a low angry voice. Kyouraku laughed and placed his foot back on the ground. He looked at Hinamori who was day dreaming. He snapped his fingers in front of her and she gasped in shock. "What the…?" she asked in panic and realized where she was. Kyouraku chuckled and said "You're too young to start day dreaming Hinamori.". Hinamori smiled and bowed to them. Nanao was staring at Hinamori disrespectfully. "I am sorry so much. I haven't been sleeping well." Hinamori said in shame. Nanao pushed her glasses once again higher and said "For a young woman like you should keep better care of yourself.". _Who is she to tell me that? _Hinamori thought furiously and looked at Nanao, she nodded in agreement and created a fake smile on her face. Kyouraku sighed and pulled his angry secretary next to him. "We will be on our way now. It was nice to see you Hinamori, good day." Kyouraku said and started pulling angry yelling Nanao behind him.

After they had disappeared from her sight, Hinamori continued her walking. She suddenly heard her cell phone beeping. She looked at the screen and read the text. She smiled in satisfaction after she had read it and placed the cell back in her pocket.

"_We will start in 48 hours. Sincerely, Aizen Sousuke."_


End file.
